DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 


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EVANGELIST  CHARLES  N.  CRITTENTON. 
Founder  Florence  Critlenton  Missions. 


i 


TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS 


...AND... 


Florence  Crittenton  Missions 


CHARLTON  ^HOLM, 

Supcriniendeni  Press  World's  Woman’s  ChrisHan  Temperance  Union. 
Reporter  Florence  Crittenton  Missions. 


This  is  a people  robbed  and  spoiled.  They  are  all  of  them  snared  in 
holes,  and  they  are  hid  in  prison  houses  ; they  are  for  a prey,  and  none  de- 
livereth  ; for  a spoil  and  none  saith,  Restore. — Isaiah  42\32 

“ What  shall  we  do  for  our  little  sister.”— SoK.g'  of  Solomon. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

Thb  Woman’s  Temperance  Publishing  Association, 
The  Temple,  Chicago. 


COPYRIGHT.  1S93 

Charlton  EdholI'I 
CHICAGO 


I7L. 

EZt 


TO 

/IftB  Samte&  ffatber  anb  /Rotbec 

James  Bovard  Charlton  and  Lucy  Gow  Charlton 

WHO  HAVE  PASSED  FROM 

THE  CHURCH  Mir.ITANT  TO  THE  CHURCH  TRIUMPHANT, 

TO  WHOSE  LOVING  CHRISTIAN  INFLUENCE,' 

BOTH  OF 

heredity  and  environment, 

I OWE  AN  eternal  debt  OF  GRATITUDE,  THIS  VOLUME 
IS  TENDERLY  DEDICATED  BY 
THE  AUTHOR. 


O.^KLAND,  California,  October  i6,  1S93, 


Charlton  Edholm. 


OTontents. 

PAGK 

PrKFACE  3 

Prelude  9 

Introduction  to  First  Chapter  10 

Maiden  Tribute  of  Modern  Babylon  13 

How  the  Taw  Regards  Girlhood  66 

“The  Ignorance  of  Children  Fills  the  Brothels  ’’  87 

Florence  Crittenton  Mission.  108 

History  of  Some  of  Our  Girls  127 

Letters  from  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  Girls...  155 
Description  of  the  Florence  Crittenton  Missions...  197 

Remedial  Forces  286 

Summary  of  New  York  Florence  Crittenton  Mis- 
sion   301 

Form  of  Bequest  305 


485’Fi‘^8 


illustrations 


PAGE 


Evangelist,  Charles  N.  Crittenton frontispiece 

Charlton  Edholm 9 

Mrs.  Josephine  Butler 16 

Miss  Frances  E.  Willard 72 

Eady  Henry  Somerset 82 

Florence  Crittenton no 

W.  C.  T.  U.  Temple 124 


MISSIONS. 

The  Mother  Mission,  New  York 118 

Tabernacle,  Oakland,  Cal 168 

Florence  Crittenton  Home,  San  Jose,  Cal 214 

Florence  Crittenton  Home,  Sacramento 220 

Florence  Crittenton  Home,  San  Francisco  Cal 230 

Florence  Crittenton  Home,  Eos  Angeles,  Cal 240 

Florence  Crittenton  Home,  Atlanta,  Georgia 250 

Florence  Crittenton  Home,  Denver,  Colorado 266 

Florence  Crittenton  Anchorage,  Chicago 280 


preface. 

We  shall  always  rejoice  that  the  First  Methodist 
church  of  Oakland,  California,  represented  by  its  Pas- 
tor, Rev.  Dr.  E.  R.  Dille,  and  O.  B.  Smith,  invited 
Evangelists  Crittenton  and  Carpenter  to  hold  revival 
meetings  there  in  1891,  and  that  the  noted  temper- 
ance orator,  Colonel  George  Babcock,  introduced  us 
to  these  good  men,  for,  although  for  years  inter- 
ested in  everything  that  concerns  womanhood,  and 
especially  resenting  the  injustice  of  the  double  social 
standard  of  purity,  and  having  written  many  news- 
paper articles  on  Social  Purity,  yet,  it  was  not  until 
God,  through  his  servant  Charles  N.  Crittenton, 
showed  us  the  vision  of  the  horrors  of  the  brothel, 
that  we  were  as  if  by  electricity  shocked  into  the 
rescue  work.  Once  as  he  was  pleading  for  the  girls 
as  he  so  well  can,  he  said,  “Let  us  see  what  God 
wants  you  to  do  ; ’ ’ and  letting  the  Bible  fall  open, 
our  eyes  rested  on  the  Macedonian  cry  “ Come  over 
and  help  us.’’  It  seemed  as  though  we  could  see  the 
thousands  upon -thousands  of  our  little  sisters  writh- 
ing under  the  cruelties  and  cuts  and  bruises  and  oaths 
and  the  unutterable  atrocities  of  the  brothels,  and 


4 


PREFACE. 


with  Streaming  eyes  and  outstretched  hands  they 
imploringly  cry,  “ Come  over  and  help  us.” 

Still  we  hesitated  and  said,  “ Mr.  Crittenton,  I can 
give  everything  to  God  but  my  reputation.  But  in 
this  rescue  work  you  must  mingle  among  these  de- 
graded ones  and  I fear  for  my  reputation.”  Then  he 
said  so  gently,  ‘‘Dear  sister,  don’t  you  know  it  is 
written  of  Jesus  ‘ He  made  himself  of  no  reputation.’ 
Can’t  you  follow  your  Master?  You  give  your 
reputation  to  God  and  he  will  keep  it.  You  try 
to  keep  it  yourself  and  you  ’ll  lose  it.  You  follow 
Jesus.  He  is  leading  you.”  We  were  not  ‘‘disobe- 
dient to  the  Heavenly  vision,”  so  upon  bended  knees 
we  listened  to  that  Macedonian  cry,  and  ever  since, 
the  one  thought  of  our  life  has  been,  ‘‘  to  loose  the 
bands  of  wickedness,  to  undo  the  heavy  burdens,  to 
let  the  oppressed  go  free.” 

But  how,  when  a work  is  to  be  done,  God  opens 
the  way!  In  answer  to  our  pleading  cry,  ‘‘Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?”  June  3,  1891, 
this  good  friend  and  brother  in  Christ  wrote  me 
a letter  in  which  were  these  words  ; ‘‘  My  sister, 
do  you  know  our  God  is  going  to  use  your  pen 
and  lips  in  a wonderful  manner,  to  awaken  people 
to  the  necessity  and  importance  of  going  to  this 
too  long  neglected  class  to  tell  them  of  a better  wa)"^  ? 
My  heart  has  rejoiced  since  I met  you,  and  when,  tell- 


preface. 


5 


ing  you  the  terrible  wrongs  which  these  poor  girls 
suffer,  I saw  the  sympathizing  tears  for  your  erring 
sisters  course  down  your  cheeks,  I said  in  my  heart, 
‘ Truly  another  champion  for  her  own  sex,  ’ and  now 
when  I read  in  your  letter  ‘ God  helping  me,  I will 
more  than  ever  consecrate  myself  to  this  work  of  res- 
cue,’ I thank  God  and  take  courage,  and  pray  God 
to  use  all  He  has  and  continue  to  increase  the  number 
of  men  and  women  consecrated  to  this  work,  who  with 
the  old  prophet  Jeremiah  will  continue  to  cry,  ‘ Oh 
that  my  head  were  waters  and  my  eyes  a fountain  of 
tears  that  I might  weep  [and  work]  day  and  night  for 
the  slain  daughters  of  my  people.’  ” Then  followed 
the  proposition  to  write  the  book.  With  such  an 
inspiration  as  that  surely  one  could  write  a book. 
More  and  more  when  listening  to  the  wrongs  of  our 
erring  sisters  the  burden  became  so  heavy  that  the 
word  of  God  constantly  came  to  us,  “ Cry  aloud,  spare 
not ; lift  up  thy  voice  like  a trumpet,  and  show  my 
people  their  transgressions  and  the  house  of  Jacob 
their  sins,”  and  that  other  command  ‘‘Write  the 
vision  and  make  it  plain  upon  tables  that  he  may 
run  that  readeth  it.” 

As  the  title  of  the  book  is  ‘‘  The  Traffic  in  Girls 
and  Florence  Crittenton  Missions,”  we  have  used  as 
our  chief  testimony  the  famous  exposi  of  the  iniquity 
of  Tondon  written  by  that  magnificent  champion  of 


6 


preface. 


girlhood,  William  T.  Stead.  When  the  Pall  Mall 
Gazette  containing  this  “Maiden  Tribute  of  Modern 
Babylon’  ’ appeared,  no  wonder  the  world  fairly  reeled 
under  the  awful  disclosures.  Libertines,  saloon- 
keepers and  brothel  slave  traders  gnashed  their 
teeth  in  rage  that  their  infamies  were  exposed,  and 
the  cheeks  of  mothers  blanched  with  terror  as  they 
learned  of  the  snares  set  for  the  unwary  feet  of  maid- 
enhood. 

The  impress  of  truth  which  it  bore  was  confirmed 
by  the  courts  and  therefore  the  public  may  rely  im- 
plicitly on  the  testimony  submitted  in  proof  that 
there  is  an  organized,  systematized  traffic  in  girls. 
Hundreds  of  men  called  procurers,  in  every  large  city 
of  the  world,  make  it  the  business  of  their  lives  to 
lure  and  snare  and  trap  and  buy  and  sell  girls  to 
brothel-keepers.  Hundreds  of  men  go  into  country 
districts  and  under  the  promise  of  speedy  marriage  in 
the  city,  get  girls  to  accompany  them,  and  b}^  mock 
marriage  and  seduction  accomplish  their  ruin,  and 
then  enticing  them  into  brothels,  these  victims  find 
themselves  prisoners  and  slaves.  Very,  very  few  girls 
are  in  these  haunts  of  infamy  from  choice,  and  all  are 
“more  to  be  pitied  than  condemned.’’  When  once 
the  American  people  realize  that  shameless  men  and 
women,  these  demons  in  human  shape,  make  mer- 
chandise of  their  girls,  they  will  arouse  themselves 


prefac:e.  7 

from  their  strange  apathy  and  sweep  this  white-slave 
trafl&c  into  oblivion. 

It  has  been  our  constant  aim  to  show  that  alco- 
holic drink  is  largely  the  cause  of  the  social  evil.  The 
saloon  and  the  brothel  are  twin  barbarities.  When 
the  millions  of  Christian  men  vote  out  the  saloon,  or 
give  women  the  ballot  so  they  may,  they  will  rejoice 
to  find  the  reign  of  purity  is  voted  in. 

It  has  been  a pleasure  to  quote  the  words  of  many 
of  our  great  social  purity  reformers,  and  instead  of 
reading  their  works  and  reproducing  their  ideas  in  our 
own  language,  we  have  chosen  the  more  honest  and 
more  complimentary  method  of  giving  them  the  credit 
for  their  own  writings.  We  heartily  thank  all  who 
have  aided  us  in  the  preparation  of  this  work,  and 
especially  the  writers  of  the  descriptions  of  the  vari- 
ous Florence  Crittenton  Missions. 

To  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard,  Eady  Henry  Somerset 
and  Josephine  Butler  who  have  lent  the  benediction 
of  their  pictured  faces  to  grace  our  work,  we  are  very 
grateful.  Their  constant  labors  for  social  purity  are 
well  known,  and  they  also  stand  as  the  leaders  of 
the  World’s  Woman’s  Christian  Temperance  Union, 
which  is  proving  itself  such  a wonderful  ally  in  aid- 
ing Mr.  Crittenton  in  founding  in  many  cities  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Missions. 

Perhaps  no  book  was  ever  so  endued  with  a bap- 


8 


PREFACE. 


tism  of  prayer,  for  ever  since  the  inception  of  the 
idea,  it  has  been  made  the  special  subject  of  prayer  in 
many  of  the  Florence  Crittenton  Missions  and  by 
thousands  of  workers,  as  w'ell  as  the  author,  that 
“ the  Holy  Spirit  might  indite  every  word.”  If  that 
prayer  has  been  answered,  the  message  is  God’s  mes- 
sage, and  we  have  his  assurance,  ‘‘  My  word  shall 
not  return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that 
which  I please.”  And  what  does  He  please?  He  is 
‘‘not  willing  that  any  should  perish.”  But  He  saves 
by  human  instruments,  and  in  every  city  there  should 
be  a Rescue  Home  similar  to  the  Florence  Crittenton 
Missions,  to  which  these  dear  girls  can  flee  from  the 
horrors  of  their  pitiable  life.  But  w'hile  we  save  one, 
the  saloons  are  making  a dozen  more — and  that  too  by 
the  votes  of  Christian  men.  It  is  our  most  earnest 
prayer  that  the  Christian  world  soon  will  save  these 
precious  ‘‘  mothers’  girls,”  but  it  can  onl3'  be  done  bj- 
the  extermination  of  the  liquor  traffic.  Then,  and 
then  only,  will  the  traffic  in  girls  cease. 

CHARETOrT  EdHOLM. 


Oakland,  California. 


CHARLTON  EDHOLM. 

“ The  best  part  of  beauty  is  that  which  a picture  cauuot  express.” 

— Ruskin. 


William  T.  Stead,  the  deliverer  and  protector  of  little  girls 
from  human  gorillas,  otherwise  known  as  lecherous  men, 
proves  beyond  the  possibility  of  a doubt,  that  an  organized 
traffic  in  girls  is  constantly  going  on,  and  worse  than  any  race- 
slavery  is  the  slavery  of  the  brothel,  into  which  thousands  of 
our  loveliest  girls  are  mercilessly  thrust. 

His  exposures  a few  years  since  in  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette, 
proves  the  wonderful  power  of  a consecrated  press,  the  equal 
and  ally  of  the  pulpit  in  doing  good,  and  had  the  daily  press 
of  London  kept  up  the  crusade  against  the  brothels  and 
moral  impurity  which  he  so  grandly  inaugurated,  there  would 
scarcely  be  a brothel  in  that  great  city  to-day.  If  we  could 
get  the  press  to  take  the  motto,  “The  World  for  Christ,”  His 
kingdom  would  soon  come,  and  His  will  soon  be  done  on  earth 
as  it  is  done  in  Heaven. 

The  facts  in  the  first  chapter  of  this  book,  entitled  “ Maiden 
Tribute  to  Modern  Babylon,”  are  taken  from  the  exposd  in  the 
Pall  Mall  Gazette,  and  are  reproduced  to  show  fathers  and 
mothers  the  awful  danger  in  which  their  little  girls  are  envel- 
oped. “To  be  forewarned  is  to  be  forearmed,”  and  not  only 
will  thousands  of  maidens  be  saved  by  the  greater  care  exer- 
cised by  parents,  but  there  is  a lingering  hope  in  the  breast  of 
mothers  that  the  knowledge  of  these  facts  may  act  on  the 
strange  apathy  of  fatherhood,  and  so  rouse  their  indignation 
that  they  may  with  the  velocity  and  fury  of  a whirlwind,  by  the 
use  of  the  ballot,  sweep  this  whole  nefarious  traffic,  and  its  prin- 
cipal cause  the  gin-mill,  into  oblivion.  Or  if  they  do  not  feel 
like  coming  to  the  rescue  of  their  own  little  daughters,  it  is 
still  hoped  that  they  may  give  mothers  the  ballot,  and  let 
them  save  maidenhood  from  such  a fearful  fate. 


iiflaiticn  ®rii)utc  of  Hfloticrn  Batijlon. 


INTRODUCTION. 

iThe  Report  of  the  “Patl  Mall  Gazette's  ” Secret  Commission.') 

The  Pall  Mall  Gazette  has  published  to  the  world 
disclosures  of  a most  horrible  and  many  would  think 

incredible  character Not  even  the  question  of 

peace  or  war  or  the  most  intricate  phases  of  foreign 
policy  ought  to  interfere  with  energetic  measures  to 
suppress  these  evils.  But  before  we  can  make  any 
great  advance  there  must  be  a considerable  movement 
in  public  opinion.  It  must  be  vigorous  and  deter- 
mined, and  I will  tell  you  why.  You  may  depend 
upon  it  that  no  Government  undertakes  a question  of 
a really  important  and  social  character  until  it  has 
been  forced  on  them  by  the  voice  of  public  opinion. 
Consequently  it  is  our  duty  to  bring  that  voice  of 
public  opinion  to  bear  on  this  question.  In  order  to 
'do  so  effectually  j’ou  must  never  be  silent,  but  go 
about  crying,  “Unclean,  unclean!’’  and  not  relax 
vmur  efforts  until  some  determined  steps  have  been 
taken.  Law  can  be  evaded  in  every  possible  wa}". 
The  only  thing  that  defies  evasion  is  a widespread 
and  universally  extended  public  opinion.  I think 
we  must  have  an  entirely  new  agency  at  work  to  dis- 
cover and  stop  these  crimes.  I hope  that  we  shall  be 
able  to  create  such  a public  feeling  throughout  the 
country  that  persons  will  be  induced  to  come  forward 
voluntarily  and  give  evidence.  The  plague  spot  is 


INTRODUCTION. 


1 1 

too  deep,  too  wide,  and  there  are  too  many  persons 
interested  in  the  continuance  of  it,  to  enable  us  easily 
to  wipe  it  out.  Uncommon  energy  will  be  necessary, 
and  I hope  we  shall  raise  such  an  amount  of  popular 
indignation  that  the  effect  will  be  irresistible. — Lord 
Shaftesbury  at  the  Majision  House,  J^dy  lo,  i88y. 

The  Secret  Commission  was  composed  of  members 
of  the  staff  of  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  and  it  was  in- 
structed to  elucidate  facts  altogether  independently 
of  the  police,  although  communications  were  opened 
with  the  Home  Office  and  the  Uocal  Government 
Board.  The  first  official  suggestion  that  such  an  in- 
quiry should  be  undertaken  reached  the  Pall  Mall 
Gazette  office  from  the  City  Chamberlain,  Mr.  Benj. 
Scott,  whose  position  as  chairman  of  the  Uondon 
Committee  for  the  Prevention  of  Traffic  in  English 
Girls  enabled  him  to  speak  with  considerable  author- 
ity on  this  question.  He  brought  news  of  what  is 
called  the  Shoreham  case — the  escape  of  the  girl 
Annie  from  a Pimlico  brothel,  thanks  to  the  address 
of  the  Salvation  Army  on  the  back  of  an  old  hymn- 
book.  The  first  step  in  the  inquiry  was  to  ascertain 
from  the  headquarters  of  the  Salvation  Army  whether 
the  story  was  correctly  reported.  This  brought  me 
into  close  communication  with  the  chiefs  of  the  Sal- 
vation Army,  with  whom  I had  been  in  communica- 
tion on  the  subject  before  seeing  Mr.  Scott,  and  by 
whom  this  inquiry  was  welcomed  with  enthusiasm 
and  assisted  to  the  uttermost  in  every  way  by  all  its 
members  from  the  Chief  of  the  Staff  down  to  the 
humblest  private.  After  verifying  the  facts  about 
the  Shoreham  case,  and  being  assured  of  the  hearty 


12 


INTRODUCTION. 


co-operation  and  loyal  support  of  the  London  Com- 
mittee for  the  Suppression  of  the  Tjafiic  in  English 
Girls,  of  Mrs.  Josephine  Butler,  whose  vast  experi- 
ence was  placed  unreservedly  at  our  disposal,  and  of 
the  Salvation  Army,  the  work  of  investigation  was 
begun  in  earnest. 

Individually  and  collectively  we  interviewed  every 
one,  from  Lord  Dalhousie  and  Archdeacon  Farrar  to 
Mesdames  X.  and  Z.  and  Mrs.  Jeffries.  I even  inter- 
viewed Mr.  Cavendish  Bentinck. 

Of  the  results  of  the  inquiry  I need  not  speak.  It 
speaks  for  itself.  Awfnl  as  are  the  revelations  which 
we  have  brought  to  light,  they  are  far  less  awful 
than  the  actual  facts.  We  have  but  skimmed  the 
surface  of  the  subject.  All  that  has  been  done  has 
been  done  in  six  weeks,  at  a total  outlay  of  not  more 
than  ^300  in  expenses — less  than  a rich  man  will 
spend  in  procuring  the  corruption  of  a single  shop- 
girl of  the  better  class,  say  the  daughter  of  a clergy- 
man or  of  a doctor.  Be  the  results  what  they  ma}^ 
no  nobler  work  could  a man  ever  be  privileged  to 
take.  Even  a humble  part  in  it  is  enough  to  make 
one  grateful  for  the  privilege  of  life. 

If  people  can  only  be  got  to  think  seriously  about 
this  matter  progress  will  be  made  in  the  right  direc- 
tion. Evils  once  as  universal  and  apparently  as  in- 
evitable as  prostitution  have  disappeared.  And  wJio 
is  there  amo7ig  us  bearing  the  name  of  man  who  will 
dare  to  sit  down  any  longer  with  folded  hands  m the 
presence  of  so  great  a wrong  ? 


i^laitien  ®:ritute  of  lEotrcrti  Batglon. 


The;  violations  on  virgins. 


, HIS  branch  of  the  subject  is  one 
upon  which  even  the  coolest  and 
most  scientific  observer  may  well 
find  it  difficult  to  speak  dispassion- 
ately in  a spirit  of  calm  and  philo- 
sophic investigation.  The  facts,  however, 
as  they  have  been  elucidated  in  the  course  of 
a careful  and  painstaking  inquiry,  are  so  start- 
ling, and  the  horror  which  they  excite  so  over- 
whelming, that  it  is  doubly  necessary  to  approach  the 
subject  with  a skepticism  proof  against  all  but  the 
most  overwhelming  demonstration.  It  is,  however,  a 
fact  that  there  is  in  full  operation  among  us  a system, 
of  which,  the  violation  of  virgins  is  one  of  the  ordinary 
incidents  ; that  these  virgins  are  mostly  of  tender  age, 
being  too  young  in  fact  to  understand  the  nature  of 
the  crime  of  which  they  are  the  unwilling  victims ; 
that  these  outrages  are  constantly  perpetrated  with 
almost  absolute  impunity,  and  that  the  arrangements 
are  made  with  a simplicity  and  efficiency,  incredible 
to  all  who  have  not  made  some  demonstration  of  the 
facility  with  which  the  crime  can  be  accomplished. 

To  avoid  misapprehension,  I admit  that  the  vast 
majority  of  those  who  are  on  the  streets  in  London 
have  not  come  there  by  the  road  of  organized  out- 
rage. Most  women  fall  either  by  the  seduction  of 

individuals  or  by  the  temptation  which  well-dressed 

13 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


H 

vice  can  offer  to  the  poor.  But  there  is  a minority 
which  has  been  as  much  the  victim  of  violence  as 
were  the  Bulgarian  maidens  with  whose  wrongs  Mr. 
Gladstone  made  the  world  ring  some  eight  years  ago. 
Some  are  simply  snared,  trapped  and  outraged,  either 
when  under  the  influence  of  drugs  or  after  a prolonged 
struggle  in  a locked  room,  in  which  the  weaker  suc- 
cumbs to  sheer  downright  force.  Others  are  regularly 
procured  ; bought  at  so  much  per  head  in  some  cases, 
or  enticed  under  various  promises  into  the  fatal  cham- 
ber from  which  they  are  never  allowed  to  emerge 
until  they  have  lost  what  women  ought  to  value  more 
than  life.  It  is  to  this  department  of  the  subject  that 
I now  address  myself. 

Before  beginning  this  inquiry  I had  a confidential 
interview  with  one  of  the  most  experienced  officers 
who  for  many  years  was  in  a position  to  possess  an 
intimate  acquaintance  with  all  phases  of  London 
crime.  I asked  him,  “ Is  it  or  is  it  not  a fact  that,  at 
this  moment,  if  I were  to  go  to  the  proper  houses, 
well  introduced,  the  keeper  would,  in  return  for 
money  down,  supply  me  in  due  time  with  a maid — a 
girl  who  had  never  been  seduced?”  ‘‘ Certainl}^,” 
he  replied  without  a moment’s  hesitation.  ” At  what 
price?  ” I continued.  “That  is  a difficult  question,” 
he  said.  “I  remember  one  case  which  came  under 
my  official  cognizance  in  Scotland-yard  in  which  the 
. price  agreed  upon  was  stated  to  be  ;^20.  Some 
parties  in  Lambeth  undertook  to  deliver  a maid  for 
that  sum  to  a house  of  ill-fame,  and  I have  no  doubt 
it  is  frequently  done  all  over  London.”  “But,”  I con- 
tinued, “ are  these  maids  willing  or  unwilling  parties 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 5 

to  the  transaction?”  He  looked  surprised  at  my 
question,  and  then  replied  emphatically : “Of  course 
they  are  rarely  willing,  and  as  a rule  they  do  not 
know  what  they  are  coming  for.”  “But,”  I said  in 
amazement,  ‘ ‘ then  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  in 
very  truth  actual  violation,  in  the  legal  sense  of  the 
word,  is  constantly  being  perpetrated  in  London  on 
unwilling  virgins,  purveyed  and  procured  to  rich  men 
at  so  much  a head  by  keepers  of  brothels  ? ” “ Cer- 

tainly,” said  he,  ‘‘there  is  not  a doubt  of  it.” 
‘‘Why,”  I exclaimed,  “ the  very  thought  is  enough 
to  raise  hell.”  ‘‘ It  is  true,”  he  said  ; ‘‘ and  although 
it  ought  to  raise  hell,  it  does  not  even  raise  the  neigh- 
bors.” ‘‘But  do  the  girls  cry  out?”  ‘‘Of  course 
they  do.  But  what  avails  screaming  in  a quiet  bed- 
room ? Remember,  the  utmost  limit  of  howling  or 
excessively  violent  screaming,  such  as  a man  or  woman 
would  make  if  actual  murder  was  being  attempted,  is 
only  two  minutes,  and  the  limit  of  screaming  of  any 
kind  is  only  five.”  “ But  the  policeman  on  the 
beat  ?”  ‘‘  He  has  no  right  to  interfere,  even  if  he 

heard  anything.  Suppose  that  a constable  had  a 
right  to  force  his  way  into  any  house  where  a woman 
screamed  fearfully,  policemen  would  be  almost  as  reg- 
ular attendants  at  childbed  as  doctors.  Once  a girl 
gets  into  such  a house  she  is  almost  helpless,  and 
may  be  ravished  with  comparative  safety.”  “ But 
surely  such  violation  is  a felony  punishable  with  penal 
servitude.  Can  she  not  prosecute?  Whom  is  she 
to  prosecute  ? She  does  not  know  her  assailant’s 
name.  She  might  not  even  be  able  to  recognize  him 
if  she  met  him  outside.  Even  if  she  did,  who  would 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRx.S. 


believe  her  ? A woman  who  has  lost  her  chastity  is 
always  a discredited  witness.  The  fact  of  her  being 
in  a house  of  ill-fame  would  possibly  be  held  to  be 
evidence  of  her  consent.  The  keeper  of  the  house 
and  all  the  servants  would  swear  she  was  a con- 
senting party ; they  would  swear  that  she  had  never 
screamed,  and  the  woman  would  be  condemned  as 
an  adventuress  who  wished  to  levy  blackmail.” 
‘‘And  this  is  going  on  to-day?”  ‘‘  Certainly  it  is, 
and  it  will  go  on,  and  you  cannot  help  it,  as  long  as 
men  have  money,  procuresses  are  skillful,  and  women 
are  weak  and  inexperienced.” 

VIRGINS  WIEEING  AND  UNWIEEING. 

So  startling  a declaration  by  so  eminent  an  author- 
ity led  me  to  turn  my  investigations  in  this  direction. 
I then  put  myself  into  direct  and  confidential  com- 
munication with  brothel-keepers  in  the  West  and  East 
of  London  and  in  the  provinces.  Some  of  these  were 
still  carrying  on  their  business,  others  had  abandoned 
their  profession  in  disgust,  and  are  now  living  a better 
life. 


THE  CONFESSIONS  OF  A BROTHEE-KEEPER. 

Here,  for  instance,  is  a statement  made  to  me  by 
a brothel-keeper,  who  formerly  kept  a noted  house  in 
the  Mile-end-road,  but  who  is  now  endeavoring  to 
start  life  afresh  as  an  honest  man.  I saw  both  him 
and  his  wife,  herself  a notorious  prostitute  whom  he 
had  married  off  the  streets,  where  she  had  earned  her 
living  since  she  was  fourteen  : 


FIvORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 7 

“ Maids,  as  you  call  them,  are  constantly  in  request, 
and  a keeper  who  knows  his  business  has  his  eyes 
open  in  all  directions.  His  stock  of  girls  is  constantly 
getting  used  up,  and  needs  replenishing,  and  he  has 
to  be  on  the  alert  for  the  reputation  of  his  house.  I 
have  been  iu  my  time  a good  deal  about  the  country 
on  these  errands.  The  getting  of  fresh  girls  takes 
time,  but  it  is  simple  and  easy  enough  when  once  you 
are  in  it.  I have  gone  and  courted  girls  in  the  coun- 
try under  all  kinds  of  disguises,  occasionally  assum- 
ing the  dress  of  a parson,  and  made  them  believe  I 
intended  to  marry  them,  and  so  got  them  in  my  power 
to  please  a good  customer.  How  is  it  done  ? Why, 
after  courting  my  girl  for  a time,  I propose  to  bring 
her  to  London  to  see  the  sights.  I bring  her  up,  take 
her  here  and  there,  giving  her  plenty  to  eat  and  drink 
— especially  drink.  I take  her  to  the  theater,  and 
then  I contrive  it  so  that  she  loses  her  last  train.  By 
this  time  she  is  very  tired,  a little  dazed  with  the 
drink  and  excitement,  and  very  frightened  at  being 
left  in  town  with  no  friends.  I offer  her  nice  lodgings 
for  the  night ; she  goes  to  bed  in  my  house,  and  then 
the  affair  is  managed.  My  client  gets  his  maid,  I get 
my  ^id  or  ^20  commission,  and  in  the  morning  the 
girl,  who  has  lost  her  character,  and  dare  not  go 
home,  in  all  probability  will  do  as  the  others  do.  The 
brothel-keeper’s  profit  is,  first,  the  commission  down 
for  the  price  of  the  maid,  and  secondly,  the  continuous 
profit  of  the  addition  of  a newly  seduced,  attractive 
girl  to  his  establishment.  This  is  a fair  sample  case 
of  the  way  in  which  we  recruit.  Another  very  simple 
mode  of  supplying  maids  is  by  breeding  them.  Many 


l8  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

women  who  are  on  the  streets  have  female  children. 
They  are  worth  keeping.  When  they  get  to  be  twelve 
or  thirteen  they  become  merchantable.  For  a very 
likely  ‘ mark  ’ of  this  kind  you  may  get  as  much  as  £20 
or  ^40.  I sent  my  own  daughter  out  on  the  streets 
from  my  own  brothel.  I know  a couple  of  very  fine 
little  girls  now  who  will  be  sold  before  very  long. 
They  are  bred  and  trained  for  the  life.  They  must 
take  the  first  step  some  time,  and  it  is  bad  business 
not  to  make  as  much  out  of  that  as  possible.  Drunken 
parents  often  sell  their  children  to  brothel-keepers. 
In  the  East-end  you  can  always  pick  up  as  many  fresh 
girls  as  you  want.  In  one  street  in  Dalston  you 
might  buy  a dozen.  Sometimes  the  supply  is  in  ex- 
cess of  the  demand.  There  is  a man  called  S 

whom  a famous  house  used  to  employ  to  seduce  young 
girls  and  make  them  fit  for  service  when  there  was  no 
demand  for  maids  and  there  was  a demand  for  girls 
who  had  been  seduced.  Did  I ever  do  anything  else 
in  the  way  of  recruiting  ? Yes.  I remember  one 
case  very  well.  The  girl,  a likely  ‘ mark  ’ was  a 
simple  country  lass,  living  at  Horsham.  I had  heard 
of  her,  and  I went  down  to  Horsham  to  see  what  I 
could  do.  Her  parents  believed  that  I was  in  regular 
business  in  London,  and  they  were  very  glad  wEen  I 
proposed  to  engage  their  daughter.  I brought  her 
into  town  and  made  her  a serv-ant  in  our  house.  We 
petted  her  and  made  a good  deal  of  her,  gradually 
initiated  her  into  the  kind  of  life  it  was  ; and  then  I 
sold  her  to  a young  gentleman  for  ^15.  When  I saj’ 
that  I sold  her,  I mean  that  he  gave  me  the  gold  and 
I gave  him  the  girl  to  do  as  he  liked  with.  He  took 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 9 

her  away  and  seduced  her.  I believe  he  treated  her 
rather  well  afterwards,  but  that  was  not  my  affair. 
She  was  his  after  he  paid  for  her  and  took  her  away. 
If  her  parents  had  inquired,  I would  have  said  that 
she  had  been  a bad  girl  and  run  away  with  a young 
man.  How  could  I help  that  ? The  East  is  the  great 
market  for  the  children  who  are  imported  into  West- 
end  houses,  or  taken  abroad  wholesale  when  the  trade 
is  brisk. 

HOW  GIRLS  ARE  BOUGHT  AND  RUINED. 

“As  a regular  thing,  the  landlady  of  a bad  house 
lets  her  rooms  to  gay  women,  and  lives  on  their  rent 
and  the  profits  on  the  drink  which  they  compel  their 
customers  to  buy  for  the  good  of  the  house.  She  may 
go  out  herself  or  she  may  not ; but  as  a rule  she  con- 
tents herself  with  keeping  her  girls  up  to  the  mark, 
and  seeing  that  they  at  least  earn  enough  to  pay  their 
rent,  and  bring  home  sufficient  customers  to  consume 
liquor  enough  to  make  it  pajL  Girls  often  shrink 
from  going  out,  and  need  almost  to  be  driven  into  the 
streets.  If  it  was  7iot  for  gin  and  the  lajidlady  they 
could  never  carry  it  on.  Some  girls  I used  to  have 
would  come  and  sit  and  cry  in  my  kitchen  and  de- 
clare that  they  could  not  go  out,  they  could  not  stand 
the  life.  I had  to  give  them  a dram  and  take  them 
out  myself,  and  set  them  going  again,  for  if  they  did 
not  seek  gentlemen  where  was  I to  get  my  rent  ? Did 
they  begin  willingly  ? Some  ; others  had  no  choice. 
How  had  they  no  choice  ? Because  they  never  knew 
anything  about  it  till  it  was  too  late.  I or  my  girls 


20 


'THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


would  entice  fresh  girls  in,  and  persuade  them  to  stay- 
out  too  late  till  they  were  locked  out,  and  then  a 
pinch  of  snuff  in  their  beer  would  keep  them  snug 
until  they  were  ruined.  Has  that  happened  often  ? 
Lots  of  times.  It  is  one  of  the  ways  by  which  3mu 
keep  your  house  up.  Every  woman  who  has  an  eye 
to  business  is  constantly  on  the  look  out  for  likelj' 
girls.  Pretty  girls  who  are  poor,  and  who  have 
either  no  parents  or  are  away  from  home,  are  easiest 
picked  up.  How  is  it  done  ? You  or  your  decoy  find 
a likely  girl,  and  then  you  track  her  down.  I re- 
member I once  went  a hundred  miles  and  more  to 
pick  up  a girl.  I took  a lodging  close  to  the  board 
school,  where  I could  see  the  girls  go  backwards  and 
forwards  every  day.  I soon  saw  one  that  suited  m3" 
fancy.  She  was  a girl  of  about  thirteen,  tall  apd  for- 
ward for  her  age,  prett3",  and  likely  to  bring  business. 
I found  out  she  lived  with  her  mother.  I engaged 
her  to  be  my  little  maid  at  the  lodgings  where  I was 
staying.  The  very  next  day  I took  her  off  with  me 
to  London,  and  her  mother  never  saw  her  again. 
What  became  of  her?  A gentleman  paid  me  ^^13 
for  her  soon  after  she  came  to  town.  To  tell  the 
truth,  she  was  drugged.  It  is  often  done.  I gave 
her  a drowse.  It  is  a mixture  of  laudanum  and 
something  else.  Sometimes  chloroform  is  used,  but 
I always  used  either  snuff  or  laudanum.  We  call  it 
drowse  or  black  draught.  And  then  ? Oh ! then 
she  cries  a great  deal  from  pain,  but  we  tell  her  it  is 
right ; all  girls  have  to  go  through  it  some  time,  that 
she  is  through  it  now  without  knowing  it,  and  that  it 
is  no  use  cr3dng.  It  will  never  be  undone  for  all  the 


PLORENCie  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


21 


crying  in  the  world.  She  must  now  do  as  the  others 
do.  She  can  live  like  a lady,  do  as  she  pleases,  have 
the  best  of  all  that  is  going,  and  enjoy  herself  all  day. 
If  she  objects,  I scold  her  and  tell  her  she  has  lost 
her  character,  no  one  will  take  her  in  ; I will  have  to 
turn  her  out  on  the  streets  as  a bad  and  ungrateful 
girl.  The  result  is  that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  or 
ninety-nine  out  of  a hundred,  the  child,  who  is  usually 
under  fifteen,  frightened  and  friendless,  her  head  ach- 
ing with  the  effect  of  the  drowse  and  full  of  pain  and 
horror,  gives  up  all  hope,  and  in  a week  she  is  one  of 
the  attractions  of  the  house.  You  say  that  some  men 
say  this  is  never  done.  Don’t  believe  them  ; if  these 
people  spoke  the  truth,  it  might  be  found  that  they 
had  done  it  themselves.  Landladies  who  wish  to 
thrive  must  humor  their  customers.  If  they  want  a 
maid  we  must  get  them  one,  or  they  will  go  else- 
where. We  cannot  afford  to  lose  their  custom  ; be- 
sides, after  the  maid  is  seduced  she  fills  up  vacancies 
caused  by  disease  or  drink.  There  are  very  few 
brothels  which  are  not  occasionally  recruited  in  that 
way.  That  case  which  I mentioned  was  by  no  means 
exceptional.  In  about  seven  years  I remember  sell- 
ing two  maids  for  ^20  each,  one  at  ;!^i6,  one  at  ^15, 
one  at  .1^13,  and  others  for  less.  Of  course,  where  I 
bought  I paid  less  than  that.  The  difference  repre- 
sented my  profit,  commission,  and  payment  for  risk  in 
procuring,  drugging,  etc.” 

A DREADFUE  PROFESSION. 

When  I was  prosecuting  these  inquiries  at  the 
East-end,  I was  startled  by  a discovery  made  hy  a 


22 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


confidential  agent  at  the  other  end  of  the  town.  This 
was  nothing  less  than  the  unearthing  of  a house,  kept 
apparently  by  a highly  respectable  midwife,  where  chil- 
dren were  taken  by  procurers  to  be  certified  as  virgins 
before  violation,  and  where,  after  violation,  they  were 
taken  to  be  “ patched  up,”  and  where,  if  necessary, 
abortion  could  be  procured.  The  existence  of  the 
house  was  no  secret.  It  was  well  known  in  the  trade, 
and  my  agent  was  directed  thither  without  much  ado 
by  a gay  woman  with  whom  he  had  made  a casual 
acquaintance. 

That  surely  was  sufficiently  horrible.  Yet  there 
stood  the  house,  imperturbably  respectable  in  its  out- 
ward appearance,  apparently  an  indispensable  adjunct 
of  modern  civilization,  its  experienced  proprietress 
maintaining  confidential  relations  with  the  “best 
houses”  in  the  West-end.  This  repairer  of  damaged 
virgins  is  not  a procuress.  Her  mission  is  remedial. 
But  she  is  a wise  woman,  and  is  not  above  giving  a 
hint  to  those  who  seek  her  advice  as  to  where  little 
children  can  best  be  procured.  A short  time  ago, 
she  says,  there  was  no  difficulty.  “Any  of  these 
houses,”  mentioning  some  of  the  best  known  foreign 
and  English  houses  in  the  West  and  Northwest, 
“would  supply  children,  but  at  present  they  are 
timid.  You  need  to  be  an  old  customer  to  be  served. 
But,  after  all,  it  is  expensive  getting  young  girls  for 
them.  If  you  really  have  a fancy  that  way,  why  do 

you  not  do  as  Mr. does  ? It  is  cheaper,  simpler, 

and  safer.”  “And  how  does  Mr.  do,  and  who 

is  Mr. ?”  “Oh,  Mr.  is  a gentleman  who 

has  a great  penchant  for  little  girls.  I do  not  know 


Florence  crittenton  missions.  23 

how  many  I have  had  to  repair  after  him.  He  goes 
down  to  the  East-end  and  the  city,  and  watches  when 
the  girls  come  out  of  shops  and  factories  for  lunch  or 
at  the  end  of  the  day.  He  sees  his  fancy  and  marks 
her  down.  It  takes  a little  time,  but  he  wins  ihe 
child’s  confidence.  One  day  he  proposes  a little  ex- 
cursion to  the  West.  She  consents.  Next  day  I 

have  another  subject,  and  Mr. is  off  with  another 

girl.”  “And  what  becomes  of  the  subjects  on  which 
3’’Ou  display  your  skill?”  ‘‘Some  go  home,  others 
go  back  to  their  situations,  others  again  are  passed 
on  to  those  who  have  a taste  for  a second-hand  arti- 
cle,” and  the  good  lady  intimated  that  if  my  agent 
had  such  a taste  she  was  not  without  hopes  that  she 
might  be  able  to  do  a little  trade. 

WHY  THE  CRIES  OF  THE  VICTIMS  ARE  NOT  HEARD. 

At  this  point  in  the  inquiry,  the  difficulty  again 
occurred  to  me  how  was  it  possible  for  these  outrages 
to  take  place  without  detection.  The  midwife,  when 
questioned,  said  there  was  no  danger.  Some  of  the 
houses  had  an  underground  room,  from  which  no 
sound  could  be  heard,  and  that,  as  a matter  of  fact, 
no  one  ever  had  been  detected.  The  truth  about  the 
underground  chambers  is  difficult  to  ascertain.  ‘‘  In 
my  house,”  said  a most  respectable  lady,  who  keeps 
a villa  in  the  west  of  London,  ‘‘you  can  enjoy  the 
screams  of  the  girl  with  the  certainty  that  no  one  else 
hears  them  but  yourself.”  But  to  enjoy  to  the  full 
the  exclusive  luxury  of  revelling  in  the  cries  of  the 
immature  child,  it  is  not  necessary  to  have  a padded 
room,  a double  chamber,  or  an  underground  room. 


24 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


“ Here,”  said  the  keeper  of  a fashionable  villa,  where 
in  days  bygone  a prince  of  the  blood  is  said  to  have 
kept  for  some  months  one  of  his  innumerable  sultanas, 
as  she  showed  her  visitor  over  the  well  appointed 
rooms,  “Here  is  a room  where  you  can  be  perfectly 
secure.  The  house  stands  in  its  own  grounds.  The 
walls  are  thick,  there  is  a double  carpet  on  the  floor. 
The  only  windov/,  which  fronts  upon  the  back  gar- 
den, is  doubly  secured,  first  with  shutters,  and  then 
with  heavy  curtains.  You  lock  the  door  and  then 
you  can  do  as  you  please.  The  girl  may  scream  blue 
murder,  but  not  a sound  will  be  heard.  The  servants 
will  be  far  away  in  the  other  end  of  the  house.  I 
only  will  be  about  seeing  that  all  is  snug.”  What 
chance  is  there,  then,  of  the  feeble,  timid  cry  of  the 
betrayed  child  penetrating  the  shuttered  and  cur- 
tained windows,  or  of  moving  the  heart  of  the  wily 
watcher — the  woman  whose  business  it  is  to  secure 
absolute  safety  for  her  client  ? What  means  of  sti- 
fling a cry — a pillow,  a sheet,  or  even  a pocket  hand- 
kerchief— in  all  around  there  is  practically  no  danger. 
To  some  men,  however,  the  shriek  of  torture  is  the 
essence  of  their  delight,  and  they  would  not  silence 
by  a single  note  the  cry  of  agony  over  which  the}" 
gloat. 

NO  ROOM  FOR  REPENTANCE. 

Whether  the  maids  thus  violated  in  the  secret 
chambers  of  accommodation  houses  are  willing  or  un- 
willing is  a question  on  which  one  keeper  shed  a flood 
of  light  by  a very  pertinent  and  obvious  remark  ; “I 
have  never  had  a maid  seduced  in  my  house,”  she 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


25 


said,  “unless  she  was  willing.  They  are  willing 
enough  to  come  to  my  house  to  be  seduced,  but  when 
the  man  comes  they  are  never  willing.’’  And  she 
proceeded  to  illustrate  what  she  meant  by  descriptions 
of  scenes  which  had  taken  place  in  her  house  when 
girls,  who  according  to  her  story  had  implored  her  to 
allow  them  to  be  seduced  in  her  rooms,  had  when  the 
supreme  moment  arrived  repented  of  their  willing- 
ness, and  fought  tooth  and  nail,  and  on  at  least  one 
occasion  it  was  evident  that  the  girl’s  resistance  had 
only  been  overcome  after  a prolonged  and  desperate 
fight,  in  which,  what  with  screaming  and  violence, 
she  was  too  exhausted  to  continue  the  struggle.  That 
was  in  the  case  of  a full-grown  woman.  Children  of 
twelve  and  thirteen  cannot  offer  any  serious  resist- 
ance. They  only  dimly  comprehend  what  it  all 
means.  Their  mothers  sometimes  consent  to  their 
seduction  for  the  sake  of  the  price  paid  by  their  se- 
ducer. The  child  goes  to  the  introducing  house  as  a 
sheep  to  the  shambles.  Once  there,  she  is  compelled 
to  go  through  with  it.  “ If  she  wanted  to  be  seduced, 
and  came  here  to  be  seduced,’’  says  the  keeper,  “I 
shall  see  that  she  does  not  play  the  fool.  The  gentle- 
man has  paid  for  her,  and  he  can  do  with  her  what  he 
likes.’’  Neither  Rhadamanthus  nor  Lord  Bramwell 
could  more  sternly  exact  the  rigorous  fulfillment  of 
the  stipulations  of  the  contract.  “ Once  she  is  in  my 
house,’’  said  a worthy  landlady,  “ she  does  not  go  out 
till  the  job  is  done.  She  comes  in  willingly,  but  no 
matter  how  willing  she  may  be  to  go  out,  she  stays 
here  till  my  gentleman  has  done  with  her.  She  re- 


i 


26 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


pents  too  late  when  she  repents  after  crossing  my 
threshold.” 


STRAPPING  GIRLS  DOWN. 

In  the  course  of  my  investigations  I heard  some 
strange  tales  concerning  the  precautions  taken  to 
render  escape  impossible  for  the  girl  whose  ruin,  with 
or  without  her  consent,  has  been  resolved  upon.  One 
fact,  which  is  of  quite  recent  occurrence  in  a fashion- 
able London  suburb,  and  the  accuracy  of  which  I was 
able  to  verify,  is  an  illustration  of  the  extent  to  which 
those  engaged  in  this  traffic  are  willing  to  go  to 
supply  the  caprices  of  their  customers.  To  oblige  a 
wealthy  customer  an  eminently  respectable  lady  un- 
dertook that  whenever  the  girl  was  fourteen  or  fifteen 
years  of  age  she  should  be  strapped  down  hand  and 
foot  so  that  all  resistance  save  that  of  unavailing 
screaming  would  be  impossible.  Anything  can  be 
done  for  money,  if  you  only  know  where  to  take  it. 

HOW  THE  LAW  ABETS  THE  CRIMINALS. 

The  system  of  procuration,  as  I have  already  ex- 
plained, is  reduced  to  a science.  The  poorer  brothel- 
keeper  hunts  up  recruits  herself,  while  the  richer  are 
supported  by  their  agents.  No  prudent  keeper  of  an 
introducing  house  will  receive  girls  brought  by  other 
than  her  accredited  and  trusted  agents.  The  devices 
of  these  agents  are  innumerable.  They  have  been 
known  to  profess  penitence  in  order  to  gain  access  to 
a home  for  fallen  women,  where  they  thought  some 
Magdalens  repenting  of  their  penitence  might  be  se- 
cured for  their  house.  They  go  into  workhouses  to 


FLORENCE  CRlT'i'EN'rON  MISSIONS.  27 

see  what  likely  girls  are  to  be  had.  They  use  serv- 
ants’ registries.  They  haunt  the  doors  of  jails  when 
girls  in  for  their  first  offense  are  turned  adrift  on  the 
expiration  of  their  sentences.  There  are  no  subter- 
fuges too  cunning  or  too  daring  for  them  to  resort  to 
in  the  pursuit  of  their  game.  Against  their  wiles  the 
law  offers  the  child  over  thirteen  next  to  no  protec- 
tion. If  a child  of  fourteen  is  cajoled  or  frightened, 
or  overborne  by  anything  short  of  direct  force  or  the 
threat  of  immediate  bodily  harm,  into  however  an 
unwilling  acquiescence  in  an  act  the  nature  of  which 
she  most  imperfectly  apprehends,  the  law  steps  in  to 
shield  her  violator.  If  permission  is  given,  says 
Stephen’s  “ Digest  of  the  Criminal  Law,”  ‘‘the  fact 
that  it  was  obtained  by  fraud,  or  that  the  woman  did 
not  understand  the  nature  of  the  act,  is  immaterial.” 

PROCURESSES  AND  THEIR  ARTS. 

The  victims  of  these  rapes,  for  such  they  are  to 
all  intents  and  purposes,  are  almost  all  very  young 
children: between  thirteen  and  fifteen.  The  reason  for 
that  is  very  simple.  The  law  at  present  almost  spe- 
cially marks  out  such  cliildren  as  the  fair  game  of 
dissolute  men.  The  moment  a child  is  thirteen  she 
is  a woman  in  the  eye  of  the  law,  with  absolute  right 
to  dispose  of  her  person  to  any  one  who  by  force  or 
fraud  can  bully  or  cajole  her  into  parting  with  her 
virtue.  It  is  the  one  thing  in  the  whole  world  which, 
if  once  lost,  can  never  be  recovered,  it  is  the  most 
precious  thing  a woman  ever  has  ; but  while  the  law 
forbids  her  absolutely  to  dispose  of  any  other  valua- 
bles until  she  is  sixteen,  it  insists  upon  investing  her 


28 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


with  unfettered  freedom  to  sell  her  person  at  thirteen. 
Now  it  is  a fact  which  I have  repeatedly  verified,  that 
girls  of  thirteen,  fourteen,  and  even  fifteen,  who  pro- 
fess themselves  perfectly  willing  to  be  seduced,  are 
absolutely  and  totally  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the 
act  to  which  they  assent.  Perhaps  one  of  the  most 
touching  instances  of  this  and  the  most  conclusive 
was  the  exclamation  of  relief  that  burst  from  a Birm- 
ingham girl  of  fourteen,  when  the  midwife  had  fin- 
ished her  examination.  “ It’s  all  over  now,”  she 
said;  ‘‘ I am  so  glad.”  ‘‘You  silly  child,”  said  the 
procuress,  ‘‘ that’s  nothing.  You’ve  not  been  seduced 
yet.  That  is  still  to  come.”  How  could  she  know 
any  better,  never  having  been  taught  ? 

THE  responsibility  OF  MOTHERS. 

The  ignorance  of  these  girls  is  almost  incredible. 
Even  more  than  the  scandalous  state  of  the  law,  the 
culpable  refusal  of  mothers  to  explain  to  their  daugh- 
ters the  realities  and  the  dangers  of  their  existence 
contributes  to  fill  the  brothels  of  London. 

UNW’ILLING  RECRUITS. 

But  that  to  which  I speciall}^  wish  to  direct 
attention  are  the  arts  by  which  the  keeper  secures 
unwilling  victims  for  her  house.  The  simplest  and 
by  far  the  commonest  is  to  engage  a girl  from  the 
country  by  advertisement  or  otherwise  to  help  in  the 
housework.  The  child— she  is  seldom  more  than  fif- 
teen or  sixteen — comes  up  from  her  country  village 
with  her  box,  and  is  installed  in  sendee.  At  first 
nothing  is  said.  Every  artifice  is  used  to  make  the 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  29 

unsuspecting  girl  believe  that  she  is  in  a good  place 
with  a kind  mistress.  After  a time  some  smart  dress 
is  given  her,  and  she  is  encouraged  to  be  willing  and 
submissive,  by  promises  of  greater  liberty  and  plenty 
of  money.  The  girl  is  tempted  to  drink,  and  by  de- 
grees she  is  enlightened  as  to  the  nature  of  the  house. 
It  is  a dreadful  awakening.  What  is  she  to  do  ? In 
all  Tondon  she  knows  no  friend — no  one  to  whom  she 
can  appeal.  She  is  never  allowed  to  go  outside  alone. 
She  dares  not  speak  to  the  policeman,  for  he  is  tipped 
by  her  mistress.  If  she  asks  to  leave  she  is  told  she 
must  serve  out  her  term,  and  then  every  effort  is  re- 
doubled to  seduce  her.  If  possible  she  is  made  drunk, 
and  then  when  she  wakes  she  discovers  that  her  ruin 
has  been  accomplished.  Her  character  is  gone. 
Hopeless  and  desperate,  without  money,  without 
friends,  all  avenues  of  escape  closed,  she  has  only 
one  choice.  “She  must  do  as  the  others  do’’ — the 
great  formula — or  starve  in  the  streets.  No  one  will 
believe  her  story,  for  when  a woman  is  outraged,  by 
fraud  or  force,  her  sworn  testimony  weighs  nothing 
against  the  lightest  word  of  the  man  who  perpetrated 
the  crime.  She  sees  on  one  hand  leisure,  luxury,  on 
the  other  blank  despair.  Thus  the  brothel  acquires  a 
new  inmate,  and  another  focus  of  sin  and  contagion  is 
added  to  the  streets. 

THE  STORY  OF  AN  ESCAPE. 

Within  the  last  month  I made  the  acquaintance  of 
a girl  of  seventeen,  who  escaped  at  the  eleventh  hour 
from  just  such  a trap.  I interviewed  her,  as  I have 
interviewed  many  others,  but  her  story  is  so  striking 


30 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


an  illustration  of  the  kind  of  work  that  is  going  on  all 
around  us  that  it  is  worth  while  giving  it  just  as  she 
gave  it  to  me,  merely  promising  that  I have  been  able, 
by  independent  inquiries  at  Shoreham  and  Pimlico,  to 
verify  the  complete  accuracy  of  her  statement : — 

“ My  name  is  A ; I am  seventeen  years  old. 

Last  year,  about  May,  I was  living  with  my  grand- 
parents who  had  brought  me  up  at  Shoreham.  They 
were  poor  people,  and  as  I had  grown  up  they  thought 
that  it  was  well  I should  go  to  service.  I saw  an 
advertisement  of  a situation  : ‘ Wanted  a girl  to  help 
in  the  general  work  of  the  house.’  My  grandmother 
wrote  about  the  situation,  and  as  it  seemed  satisfac- 
tory it  was  decided  I should  go.  My  mistress  had  to 
meet  me  at  Victoria  station  and  take  me  to  my  new 
home.  I arrived  all  safely,  and  at  first  I thought 
everything  was  going  to  be  all  right.  Mrs.  C. 
was  very  kind,  and  let  me  go  to  bed  at  ten.  After  a 
time,  however,  I began  to  see  that  I was  in  a bad 
house.  But  when  I mentioned  it  to  my  mother,  who 
is  living  a gay  life  in  London,  she  scolded  me,  and 
said  she  would  give  me  a good  rawhiding  if  I left  my 
place.  Where  was  I to  go  to  ? Besides,  I thought 
I might  be  servant  in  a bad  house  without  being  bad 
myself.  By  degrees  Mrs.  C.  began  to  hint  that  I was 
too  good  to  be  a general  servant ; she  would  get  an- 
other girl,  and  I might  be  a lad}^  like  the  others. 
But  the  girl  who  had  been  there  before  me  used  to  cia' 
very  much  and  tell  me  never  to  do  as  she  had  done. 
‘ Once  I was  as  good  as  5'ou,  Annie,  but  now  there  is 
my  baby,  and  what  can  I do  ? ’ and  then  she  would 
cry  bitterly.  The  other  two  girls,  when  they  were 


PI<ORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  3I 

sober,  would  warn  me  to  beware  and  not  come  to  such 
a life  as  theirs,  and  wish  that  they  had  never  taken  to 
the  streets.  And  then  they  would  drink  again,  and 
go  and  paint  their  faces  and  prepare  to  receive  visitors. 
I used  to  be  sent  with  money  to  buy  drink  for  them, 
and  many  a time  I wondered  if  I might  run  oflF  and 
never  come  back.  But  I had  to  bring  back  either  the 
money  or  the  drink  or  be  taken  for  a thief.  And  so  I 
went  on  day  after  day.  One  night  Mrs.  C.  brought 
me  a red  silk  dress  and  a new  hat,  and  said  she  was 
going  to  take  me  out.  She  got  into  a cab  with  me 
and  took  me  to  the  Aquarium.  There  she  walked  me 
about  and  then  brought  me  home  again.  This  she 
did  several  times,  never  letting  me  get  out  of  her 
sight,  never  allowing  me  to  go  out  of  doors  except 
for  drink  and  when  she  took  me  to  the  Aquarium. 
She  became  more  pressing.  She  showed  me  a beauti- 
ful pink  dress,  and  promised  me  that  also,  if  I would 
do  as  the  others  did.  And  when  I would  not,  she 
called  me  a fool,  and  used  awful  language.  One 
night  after  I had  come  in  with  her  from  the  Aqua- 
rium, a gentleman  tried  to  catch  hold  of  me  as  I was 
outside  the  bedroom.  I ran  as  hard  as  I could  down- 
stairs. He  came  after  me,  but  I got  into  the  kitchen 
first,  and  there  I barricaded  the  door  with  chairs  and 
the  table,  so  that  he  could  not  get  in.  I was  nearly 
distracted  and  did  not  know  what  to  do,  when  I found 
in  my  box  the  back  of  an  old  hymn-book  my  grand- 
father had  used.  It  had  on  it  the  address  of  General 
Booth,  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Salvation  Army.  I 
thought  to  myself  Mr.  Booth  must  be  a good  man  or 
he  would  not  have  so  many  halls  all  over  the  country. 


32 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


and  then  I thought  perhaps  he  will  help  me  to  get 
out  of  this  horrible  house,  as  I never  knew  what 
might  happen  any  night.  So  I waited  quietly  all  that 
night,  never  taking  off  my  clothes.  It  was  usually 
four  o’clock  before  the  house  was  quiet.  As  soon  as 
they  all  seemed  to  be  asleep,  I waited  till  nearly  six, 
and  then  I crept  to  the  door,  opened  it,  and  stole 
softly  away,  not  even  daring  to  close  the  door.  I 
only  knew  one  address  in  all  London — loi  Queen 
Victoria  street  ; where  that  was  I did  not  know.  I 
walked  out  blindly  till  I met  a policeman,  and  he  told 
me  the  right  direction.  I walked  on  and  on  ; it  was  a 
long  way  ; I was  very  tired.  I had  had  no  sleep  all 
night,  and  I feared  at  any  moment  to  be  overtaken 
and  brought  back.  My  red  silk  dress  was  rather  con- 
spicuous, and  I did  not  know  if,  even  after  I got  there, 
whether  Mr.  Booth  would  help  me.  But  I felt  sure 
he  was  a good  man,  and  I walked  on  and  on.  The 
bad  house  was  in  Gloucester  street,  Pimlico,  and  it 
was  nearly  half-past  seven  when  I got  to  Queen  Vic- 
toria street.  The  headquarters  were  closed.  I stood 
waiting  outside,  wondering  if,  after  all,  I might  have 
to  go  back.  At  last  some  one  came,  and  they  took 
care  of  me,  and  sent  me  to  their  home,  and  then  took 
me  back  to  Shoreham,  where  I am  now  living.” 

On  inquiry  at  the  Salvation  Army  I found  this 
story,  so  far  as  they  were  concerned,  was  strictly  cor- 
rect. They  give  the  girl  a good  character,  and  say 
that  her  grandparents  are  very  respectable,  honest 
people  at  Shoreham.  They  sent  to  the  brothel  after 
hearing  her  story,  and  insisted  on  receiving  her  box. 
At  first  the  w^oman  demurred,  but  on  being  threat- 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  33 

ened  with  exposure  reluctantly  gave  up  the  box, 
wishing  ‘ ‘ the  little  hussy  had  broken  her  neck  in  get- 
ting out  of  the  window  when  she  ran  away  in  that 
fashion.”  The  girl  is  now  engaged  to  be  married, 
and,  so  far  as  one  could  judge,  seemed  a thoroughly 
modest,  respectable  young  woman.  But  for  the  acci- 
dent of  the  hymn-book,  there  is  little  doubt  that  she 
would  months  ago  have  been  a regular  prostitute. 

It  is  significant  of  the  tenacity  with  which  these 
procuresses  cling  to  their  prey  that  at  the  time  of 
Brighton  races,  w'hen  Mrs.  C.  and  her  establish- 
ment migrated  to  the  seaside,  her  old  mistress  came 
over  to  Shoreham  to  try  to  hire  Annie  by  bribes  and 
threats  to  return  to  town.  The  frightened  girl  fled  to 
her  grandmother,  and  the  woman  had  to  return  empty- 
handed.  I have  full  particulars  of  names,  addresses, 
dates  in  my  possession,  and  there  is  not  the  least 
doubt  of  the  substantial  accuracy  of  her  story, 

TWO  STORIES  FROM  LIFE. 

In  melancholy  contrast  to  the  story  of  Annie 

is  the  story  of  another  Annie,  a London  girl  of  singu- 
larly interesting  countenance  and  pleasing  manner. 
This  child  did  not  escape.  I met  her  in  one  of  the 
innumerable  foreign  restaurants  which  serve  as 
houses  of  assignation  in  the  neighborhood  of  Leices- 
ter-square.  She  was  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
at  the  time  when  I saw  her  had  only  been  on  the 
streets  for  a few  weeks.  Her  story,  as  she  told  it  to 
me  with  the  utmost  simplicity  and  unreserve,  was  as 
follows  : 

‘Tt  was  about  two  months  since  I was  seduced. 


34 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


A friend  of  mine,  Jane  B.,  met  me  one  evening  in 
the  street  near  our  house,  and  asked  me  if  I would  go 
for  a walk  with  her.  I said  yes,  and  she  proposed  to 
come  and  have  an  ice  at  the  very  restaurant  in  which 
we  are  now  sitting.  ‘ It  is  such  a famous  shop  for 
ices,’  she  said,  ‘and  perhaps  we  shall  see  my  uncle.’ 
I did  not  know  her  uncle,  nor  did  I think  anything 
about  it,  but  I walked  down  to  Leicester-square  to  the 
restaurant.  She  asked  me  to  come  upstairs  to  a sit- 
ting-room, where  we  had  some  ices  and  some  cake. 
After  a time  a gentleman  came  in,  whom  she  said  was 
her  uncle  ; but  I found  out  afterwards  he  w^as  no  more 
her  uncle  than  I was.  He  asked  us  to  have  some 
wine  and  something  to  eat,  and  we  sat  eating  and 
drinking.  I had  never  tasted  wine  before,  but  he 
pressed  it  on  me,  and  I took  one  glass  and  then  an- 
other, until  I think  I had  four  glasses.  My  head  got 
very  queer,  and  I hardly  knew  what  I did.  Then  my 
friend  said,  ‘Annie,  you  must  come  upstairs  now.’ 
‘What  for?’  I said.  ‘Never  mind  what  for,’ she 
said  ; ‘ you  will  get  lots  of  money.’  My  head  was 
queer ; I did  not  care  what  I did,  but  I remember 
thinking  that  it  was  after  no  good  this  going  upstairs. 
She  insisted,  however,  and  I went  upstairs.  The 
man  she  called  her  uncle  followed  us  ; but  I could  do 
nothing.  When  it  was  all  over  the  man  gave  her 
^4.  She  gave  me  half  and  kept  the  other  half  for 
herself,  as  her  pay  for  getting  me  seduced.  I do  not 
know  who  the  man  was,  and  I have  never  seen  him 
since.” 

Of  course  it  is  obvious  that  this  story  rests  solely 
on  the  authority  of  the  child  herself.  But  there  was 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  35 

no  reason  to  doubt  its  accuracy.  She  told  me  her 
story  very  simply  in  the  presence  of  a friend.  It  was 
perfectly  natural,  and  the  girl’s  remembrance  of  the 
way  in  which  she  had  been  ruined  was  very  clear. 
She  seemed  a girl  of  excellent  disposition,  a Sunday 
scholar,  and  of  refined  manners,  and  with  a sweetness 
of  expression  unusual  in  her  class. 

Her  companion,  a young  girl  of  thirteen,  was  a 
child  of  much  greater  character  and  resolution,  who, 
I am  glad  to  say,  is  now  in  good  hands  in  the  coun- 
try. Her  story  was  as  follows  : 

“ One  night  a girl  I knew  came  and  spoke  to  me. 

‘ Will  you  come  and  see  a gentleman  ? ’ she  said. 

‘ Me  see  a gentleman — what  do  you  mean  ? ’ said  I. 

‘ Oh,  I forgot,’  she  says  ; ‘ will  you  come  and  take  a 
walk?’  I had  no  objection,  so  we  went  for  a walk. 
After  a while,  she  proposed  we  should  go  into  a house 
in  P.  street  and  get  something  to  eat.  We  went 
in,  and  after  we  had  been  there  a little  time  in  came 
a gentleman.  He  sat  down  and  talked  a bit,  and 
then  my  friend  says,  ‘Take  off  your  things,  Tizzie.’ 
‘No,  I won’t,’  I said.  ‘ Why  should  I take  off  my 
things  ? ’ ‘ Don’t  be  a fool,  ’ says  she.  ‘ This  gentle- 

man will  give  you  lots  of  money,  pounds  and  pounds, 
if  you  are  good ; but  he  won’t  give  you  a penny  if 
you  are  stupid.’  Madame  who  kept  the  house  heard 
me  scream,  and  she  came  running  up.  ‘ Only  keep 
quiet  and  you  shall  have  it  all.  I will  give  you  all 
the  money.  But  mind  you  won’t  get  off,  no  matter 
how  you  scream.  The  man  gave  me  ^^3.  My  friend 
took  half  and  gave  me  los.” 

Lizzie,  who  told  me  the  above  story,  is  a mere 


36 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


child,  thirteen  years  old  last  June.  Her  mother  was 
dead.  Her  father  was  a foreman  in  a city  warehouse. 
She  is  a girl  of  great  energy  and  restlessness,  affec- 
tionate, and  I believe  she  is  doing  well.  Both  of 
these  girls,  after  being  seduced,  went  on  the  streets 
occasionally.  It  is  the  first  step  which  costs,  and 
after  having  lost  their  virtue,  they  argued  that  they 
might  now  and  then  add  to  their  scanty  earnings  by 
the  easily  acquired  gold  to  be  earned  in  the  brothel. 

A FIRM  OF  PROCURESSES. 

The  recruiting  for  the  brothel  is  by  no  means  left 
to  occasional  and  irregular  agents.  It  is  a S5'Stema- 
tized  business.  Mesdames  X.  and  Z.,  procuresses, 
London,  is  a firm  whose  address  is  not  to  be  found  in 
“The  Post  Office  Directory.’’  It  exists,  however, 
and  its  operations  are  in  full  sufing  at  this  moment. 
Its  members  have  made  the  procuration  of  virgins 
their  specialty.  The  ordinary  house  of  ill-fame  re- 
cruits its  inmates  occasionally  bj^  purchase,  by  con- 
tract, by  force,  or  by  fraud,  but  as  a rule  the  ordinary 
brothel-keeper  relies  for  the  staple  of  her  commodities 
upon  those  who  have  alread}^  been  seduced.  The  dif- 
ference between  the  firm  of  Mesdames  X.  and  Z.  and 
the  ordinary  keeper  of  an  introducing  house  is  that 
the  procuring  of  maids  (which  in  the  case  of  the 
latter  is  occasional)  is  the  constant  occupation  of  their 
lives.  The}^  do  nothing  else.  They  keep  no  house  of 
ill-fame.  One  of  the  members  of  this  remarkable 
firm  lives  in  all  the  odor  of  propriety,  if  not  of  sanctity, 
with  her  parents  ; the  other  who  has  her  own  lodg- 
ings, nominally  holds  a position  of  trust  and  of  in- 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  37 

fluence  in  the  establishment  of  a well-know  firm  in 
Oxford  street.  These  things,  however,  are  but  as 
blinds.  Their  real  work,  to  which  they  devote  every 
day  in  the  week,  is  the  purveying  of  maidens  to  an 
extensive  and  ever  widening  circle  of  customers. 
The  ofldce  of  the  firm  is  at , place,  the  lodg- 

ings of  the  junior  partners,  where  letters  and  tele- 
grams are  sent  and  orders  received,  and  the  necessary 
correspondence  conducted.  Both  partners  are  young, 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm  being  really  younger 
than  her  partner.  The  business  was  started  by 
Miss  X.,  a young  woman  of  energy  and  ability  and 
great  natural  shrewdness,  almost  immediately  after 
her  seduction,  in  1881.  She  was  at  that  time  in  her 
sixteenth  year.  A girl  who  had  already  fallen  intro- 
duced her  to  a “gentleman,”  and  pocketed  half  the 
price  of  her  virture  as  commission.  The  ease  with 
which  her  procuress  earned  a couple  of  pounds  came 
like  a revelation  to  Miss  X.,  and  almost  immediately 
after  her  seduction  she  began  to  look  about  to  find 
maids  for  customers  and  customers  for  maids.  After 
two  years  business  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that 
she  was  obliged  to  take  into  partnership  MissZ.,  an 
older  girl,  about  twenty,  of  slender  figure  and  fair  com- 
plexion. At  one  time  Miss  Z. , gave  all  her  time  to  the 
business,  but  one  of  their  customers  suggested  that  it 
would  look  more  respectable,  and  besides  increase 
her  opportunities,  if  she  resumed  her  old  position  as 
head  of  a sewing-room  in  the  establishment  alluded 
to.  She  accordingly  went  back  to  her  old  quarters 
and  resumed  the  responsibility  of  looking  after  the 
morals  and  manners  of  some  score  of  young  apprentice 


38 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


girl  who  come  up  from  the  country  to  learn  the  busi- 
ness. I am  thus  precise  in  giving  details,  not  only 
because  the  firm  is  one  of  several  which  have  hitherto 
escaped  the  attention  of  the  social  observer,  but  be- 
cause the  very  existence  of  such  an  organized  busi- 
ness for  the  procuration  of  virgins  has  been  stoutly 
denied  by  those  who  are  believed  to  know  what  is 
going  on. 

AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  FIRM. 

I had  a long  conversation  with  Mesdames  X.  and 
Z.  on  a subsequent  day,  as  to  their  business — the  way 
in  which  it  was  carried  on,  and  the  facility  with 
which  they  were  able  to  procure  subjects.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a report  of  an  interview  almost  unique  in 
its  way  : — ■ 

“I  was  told  the  other  day,”  said  I,  b}^  way  of 
opening  the  conversation,  ‘‘that  the  demand  for  vir- 
gins has  rather  fallen  away  of  late.” 

‘‘That  is  not  our  experience,”  said  the  senior 
partner,  a remarkable  woman,  attractive  by  the  force 
of  her  character  in  spite  of  the  ghastliness  of  her  call- 
ing, compared  to  which  that  of  the  common  hangman 
is  more  honorable.  ‘‘ I should  say  the  market  was 
looking  up  and  the  demand  increasing.  Prices  ma}^ 
perhaps  have  fallen,  but  that  is  because  our  customers 

give  larger  orders.  For  instance.  Dr. , one  of 

my  friends,  who  used  to  take  a maid  a week  at  ;^io, 
now  takes  three  a fortnight  at  from  ^'5  to  each.” 

‘‘What!”  I exclaimed;  do  you  actually  supply 
one  gentleman  with  seventy  fresh  maids  a year  ? ’ ’ 

‘‘  Certainly,”  said  she  ; and  he  would  take  a hun- 


PtORSNCE  CRITTENEON  MISSIONS. 


39 


dred  if  we  could  get  them.  But  he  always  must  have 
a maid  over  sixteen.” 

THE  PROCURESS  EEARNED  IN  THE  LAW. 

“ Why  over  sixteen  ? ” said  I.  ‘‘  Because  of  the 
law,”  she  replied  ; ‘‘no  one  is  allowed  to  take  away 
from  her  home,  or  from  her  proper  guardians,  a girl 
who  is  under  sixteen.  She  can  assent  to  be  seduced 
after  she  is  thirteen,  but,  even  if  she  assented  to  go, 
both  the  keeper  of  the  house  where  he  took  her,  and 
my  partner  and  I,  would  be  liable  to  punishment  if 
she  was  not  over  sixteen.  Hence  my  old  gentleman, 
who  is  very  careful,  will  not  look  at  a girl  under  six- 
teen. That  diminishes  the  area  from  which  maids 
can  be  drawn.  The  easiest  age  to  pick  them  up  is 
from  fourteen  to  fifteen.  At  thirteen  they  are  just 
out  of  school,  and  still  more  or  less  babies  under  the 
influence  of  their  mothers.  But  at  fourteen  and 
fifteen  they  begin  to  get  more  liberty  without  getting 
much  more  sense  ; they  begin  to  want  clothes  and 
things  which  money  can  buy,  and  they  do  not  under- 
stand the  value  of  what  they  are  parting  with  in 
order  to  get  it.  After  a girl  gets  past  sixteen  she  gets 
wiser,  and  is  more  difficult  to  secure.” 

‘‘You  seem  to  know  the  law,”  said  I,  ‘‘better 
than  I know  it  myself.” 

‘‘Have  to,”  said  she  promptly.  ‘‘It’s  my  busi- 
ness. It  would  never  do  for  me  not  to  know  what 
was  safe  and  what  was  not.  We  might  get  ourselves 
and  our  friends  into  no  end  of  trouble  if  we  did  not 
know  the  law.” 


40 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


“ But  how  do  you  get  to  know  all  these  points  ? ” 
I inquired. 

“From  the  newspapers,”  she  replied.  “Always 
read  the  newspapers  : they  are  useful.  Every  week 
I take  in  two,  Lloyd' s and  the  Weekly  Dispatch,  and  I 
spend  the  greater  part  of  Sunday  in  reading  all  the 
cases  in  the  courts  which  relate  to  this  subject.  There 
is  a case  now  going  on  at  Walworth,  where  a man  is 
charged  with  abducting  a girl,  fifteen,  and  it  was  laid 
down  in  court  that  if  she  could  be  proved  to  be  one 
day  over  sixteen  he  was  safe.  I am  watching  the 
case  with  great  interest.  All  these  cases  when  re- 
quired I cut  out  and  put  into  a book  for  reference,  so 
that  I know  pretty  well  where  I am  going.” 

THE  PROFITS  OF  A PROCURESS. 

‘ ‘ It  pays,  I suppose  ? ” “ O yes,  there  is  no  need  for 
me  to  go  to  work.  It  is  onlj^  for  appearance’  sake  and 
opportunities.  I can  leave  when  I like,”  said  Miss 
Z.,  “after  I get  them  started  in  the  morning.  We 
are  paid  by  commission.”  “ Fiftj'-  per  cent?”  I 
asked.  “That  depends,”  said  the  senior  partner. 
“Taking  the  average  price  of  a maid  at  we  some- 
times take  ; but  sometimes  we  take  it  all,  and 
merely  make  the  girl  a present.  It  depends  upon  the 
trouble  which  we  have,  and  the  character  of  the  girl. 
Some  girls  are  such  sillies. 

“How  do  you  mean?”  “We’ll  take  Nance,  for 
instance.  She  was  a light-headed  girl  who  had  never 
fancied  money.  We  got  ^lo  for  Nance.  If  she  had 
got  half  that,  or  quarter,  it  would  have  turned  her 
head.  She  would  have  gone  and  bought  no  end  of 


FLORENCE  CRITFENTON  MISSIONS. 


41 


clothes,  and  her  mistress  and  her  mother  would  have 
found  her  out,  and  Nance  would  have  got  into  no  end 
of  a row.  So  for  Nance’s  own  sake  we  only  gave  her 
a pound,  and  as  we  made  her  stand  treat  out  of  that, 
she  had  very  little  left  out  of  her  money  to  play  the 
fool  with.  But  we  have  been  good  to  Nance  after- 
wards. I gave  her  a bonnet,  a dress  and  a pair  of 
shoes.  I should  think  we  have  spent  £2  over  her.” 

‘‘So  that  she  had  altogether  ^3,  and  you  had 

‘‘Just  so,”  said  Miss  X.,  ‘‘and  girls  are  often 
like  that ; we  have  to  save  them  from  themselves  by 
keeping  most  of  the  money  out  of  their  reach  ;”  and 
the  good  lady  evidently  contemplated  herself  with  the 
admiration  due  to  a virtue  so  careful  of  the  interests 
of  the  young  sillies  who  place  themselves  in  her  ex- 
perienced hands. 

‘‘  Tell  me,”  said  I,  reverting  to  a previous  subject, 
“when  these  maids  scream  so  fearfully  does  no  one 
ever  interfere  ? ’ ’ 

‘‘  No ; we  take  them  to  a quiet  place,  and  the  peo- 
ple of  the  house  know  us  and  would  not  interfere,  no 
matter  what  noise  went  on.  Often  we  take  them  to 
private  houses,  and  there  of  course  ail  is  safe.  I have 
never  known  one  case  of  interference  in  the  four  years 
I have  been  in  the  business.” 

WHERE  MAIDS  ARE  PICKED  UP. 

“ Who  supplies  most  of  your  maids?”  ‘‘Nurse 
girls  and  shop  girls,  although  occasionally  we  get  a 
governess,  and  sometimes  cooks  and  other  servants. 
We  get  to  know  the  servants  through  the  nurses. 


42 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Young  girls  from  the  country,  fresh  and  rosy,  are 
soon  picked  up  in  the  shops  or  as  they  run  errands. 
But  nurse  girls  are  the  great  field.  My  old  friend  is 
always  saying  to  me,  ‘ Why  don’t  you  pick  up  nurse 
girls,  there  are  any  number  in  Hyde  Park  every 
morning,  and  all  virgins.’  That  is  when  we  have 
disappointed  him,  which  is  not  very  often.” 

‘‘  But  how  do  you  manage  to  pick  up  so  many  ? ” 

The  senior  partner  replied  with  conscious  pride, 
” It  takes  time,  patience,  and  experience.  Many  girls 
need  months  before  they  can  be  brought  to  it.  You 
need  to  proceed  very  cautiously  at  first.  Everj'  morn- 
ing at  this  time  of  the  year  my  friend  and  I are  up  at 
seven,  and  after  breakfast  we  put  a shawl  round  our 
shoulders  and  off  we  go  to  scour  the  park.  Hyde 
Park  and  the  Green  Park  are  the  best  in  the  morning  ; 
Regent’s  Park  in  the  afternoon.  As  we  go  coasting 
along,  we  keep  a sharp  lookout  for  any  likely  girl, 
and  having  spotted  one  we  make  up  to  her  ; and  week 
after  week  we  see  her  as  often  as  possible,  until  w'e  are 
sufficiently  in  her  confidence  to  suggest  how  easy  it  is 
to  earn  a few  pounds  by  meeting  a man.  In  the 
afternoon  off  goes  the  shawl  and  on  goes  the  jacket, 
and  w’e  are  off  on  the  same  quest.  Thus  we  have 
always  a crop  of  maids  ripening,  and  at  any  time 
we  can  undertake  to  deliver  a maid  if  we  get  due 
notice.” 

I ORDER  FIVE  VIRGINS. 

‘‘  Come,”  said  I,  in  a vein  of  bravado,  ” what  do 
you  say  to  delivering  me  five  on  Saturday  next  ? ” — 
it  was  then  Wednesday — ‘‘  I want  them  to  be  retailed 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  43 

to  my  friends.  You  are  the  wholesale  firm,  could 
you  deliver  me  a parcel  of  five  maids,  for  me  to  dis- 
tribute among  my  friends,  after  having  them  duly  cer- 
tificated ? ” 

“ Five,”  she  said,  ‘‘  is  a large  order,  I could  bring 
you  three  that  I know  of ; but  five  ! It  is  difficult 
getting  so  many  girls  away  at  the  same  time  from 
their  places.  But  we  will  try,  although  I have  never 
before  delivered  more  than  two,  or  at  the  most  three, 
at  one  place.  It  will  look  like  a boarding-school  go- 
ing to  the  midwife.” 

” Never  mind  that.  Let  us  see  what  you  can  do.” 
And  then  and  there  an  agreement  was  made  that  it 
should  be  done.  They  were  to  deliver  five  at  a 
head  all  round,  commission  included.  But  as  I was 
buying  wholesale  to  sell  again  it  was  agreed  that  they 
would  find  the  girls  at  a commission  of  20s.  a head  for 
each  certificated  virgin,  and  deliver  to  me  a written 
pledge,  signed  with  the  name  and  address  of  each 
girl,  consenting  to  come  at  two  days’  notice  to  be  se- 
duced at  any  given  place  for  a certain  sum  down.  I 
had  to  pay  the  doctor’s  fee  for  examination  and  make 
an  allowance  for  cabs,  etc. 

THE  VIRGINS  CERTIFIED. 

The  bargain  was  struck,  an  arle-penny  was  paid 
over,  and  the  procuresses  set  about  preparing  for  the 
delivery  of  their  goods  the  following  Saturday.  At 
half-past  five  o’clock,  at  a certain  point  in  Maryle- 
bone-road,  not  far  from  the  very  fashionable  brothel 
kept  by  Mrs.  B.,  I waited  the  arrival  of  the  con- 
voy. A few  minutes  after  time  I saw  Mesdames  X. 


44 


THE  Traffic  in  girls. 


and  Z.  coming  along  the  streets,  but  with  only  three 
girls.  One  was  tall,  pretty,  and  apparently  about 
sixteen,  the  other  two  were  younger — somewhat 
heavy  in  their  build.  Two  of  them  were  shop  girls, 
being  employed  in  different  departments  of  the  well- 

known  firm  of , the  other  was  learning  some 

milliner’s  work  at  another  shop.  The  procuresses 
were  profuse  in  their  apologies.  They  had  been  as 
far  as  Highgate  to  make  up  the  quota  of  the  five,  but 
two  of  the  girls  could  not  leave  their  places  on  Satur- 
day. They  would  bring  them  on  Monday  without 
fail.  In  fact,  to  atone  for  their  inability  to  bring  five 
on  Saturday,  they  would  bring  three  on  Monda3L 
making  six  in  all.  Perhaps  also  it  was  better  not  to 
make  a sensation  by  having  seven  women  tripping 
all  together  into  one  doctor’s.  It  was  safer  to  have 
three  at  a time.  They  looked  hot  and  tired,  and  had 
already  spent  6s.  in  cabs.  The  tall  girl  had  given 
them  a great  deal  of  trouble,  but  they  had  got  her  at 
last.  We  went  into  the  doctor’s. 

None  of  the  three  girls  knew  each  other.  Thej^ 
were  not  allowed  to  speak  to  each  other  or  even  to 
shake  hands.  As  for  knowing  my  name,  the  procur- 
esses themselves  did  not  know  it.  We  went  into  the 
doctor’s.  The  girls  one  by  one  went  in  to  be  exam- 
ined. They  made  no  objection.  After  their  examin- 
ation was  done  they  signed  a formal  agreement  for 
their  subsequent  seduction.  To  the  unutterable  dis- 
gust of  the  girls  two  of  them  were  refused  a certifi- 
cate. I then  gave  them  55.  per  head  for  their  trouble 
in  coming  to  be  certificated,  paid  Mesdames  X.  and 
Z.  their  commission  on  the  one  certificated  virgin  and 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  45 

expenses,  and  departed  armed  with  the  following  set 
of  documents  : 

, , W., 

June  27,  1885. 

This  is  to  certify  that  I have  this  day  examined 

D , aged  16  years,  and  have  found  her  a 

virgin.  , M.  D. 

- Agreement. 

I hereby  agree  to  let  you  have  me  for  a present  of 
^3  or  jCa-  I will  come  to  any  address  if  you  give  me 
two  days’  notice. 

Name D , aged  16. 

Address  No.  ii, Street,  H 

DELIVERED  EOR  SEDUCTION. 

She  was  a nice,  simple,  and  affectionate  girl  of 
sixteen,  utterly  incapable  of  understanding  the  con- 
sequences of  her  act.  Her  father  is  ‘ ‘ afflicted  ” — that 
is,  touched  in  his  wits  ; her  mother  is  a charwoman. 
She  herself  works  at  some  kind  of  millinery,  for 
which  she  receives  55.  a week.  Until  a month  or  two 
ago  she  had  attended  Sunday-school,  and  to  all  ap- 
pearance she  was  a girl  decidedly  above  the  average. 
She  was  to  have  ^4,  of  which  the  firm  were  to  have 
£2.  The  poor  child  was  nervous  and  timid,  and  it 
was  touching  to  see  the  way  in  which  she  bit  her  lips 
to  restrain  her  tears.  I talked  to  her  as  kindly  as 
possible,  and  endeavored  to  deter  her  from  taking  the 
fatal  step,  by  setting  forth  the  possible  consequences 
that  might  follow.  She  was  very  frank  and,  I be- 
lieve, perfectly  straightforward  and  sincere. 

Nevertheless,  to  my  astonishment,  the  child  per- 


46 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


sisted  that  she  was  ready  to  be  seduced.  “We  are 
very  poor,’’  she  said.  “ Mother  does  not  know  any- 
thing of  this  ; she  will  think  a lady  friend  of  Miss  Z’s 
has  given  me  the  money  ; but  she  does  need  it  so 
much.’’  “But,’’  I said,  “it  is  only  ^2.’’  “Yes,’’ 

she  said,  “ but  I would  not  like  to  disappoint  Miss  Z., 
who  was  also  to  have  ;^2.’’  By  questioning  I found 
out  that  the  artful  procuress  had  for  months  past  been 
actually  advancing  money  to  the  poor  girl  and  her 
mother  when  they  were  in  distress,  in  order  to  get 
hold  of  her  when  the  time  came.  She  persisted  that 
Miss  Z.  had  been  such  a good  friend  of  hers  ; she 
wanted  to  get  her  something.  She  would  not  disap- 
point her  for  anything.  “ How  much  do  you  think 
she  has  given  you  first  and  last?’’  “About  lo^.,  I 
should  think,  but  she  gave  mother  much  more.’’ 
“How  much?’’  “Perhaps  20^.  would  cover  it.’’ 
“That  is  to  say,  that  for  a year  past  Miss  Z.  has 
been  giving  you  a shilling  here  and  a shilling  there  ; 
and  why  ? Listen  to  me.  She  has  already  got  ^^3 
from  me  for  you,  and  5^ou  will  give  her  £,2 — that  is  to 
say  she  will  make  ^5  out  of  you  in  return  for  20^. 
and  in  the  meantime  she  will  have  sold  }'ou  to  de- 
struction.’’ “Oh,  but  Miss  Z.  is  so  kind!’’  Poor, 
trusting  little  thing,  what  damnable  art  the  procuress 
must  have  used  to  attach  her  victim  to  her  in  this 
fashion  ! But  the  girl  was  quite  incapable  of  forming 
any  calculation  as  to  the  consequences  of  her  own 
action.  This  will  appear  from  the  following  conver- 
sation : “Now,’’  said  I,  “if  you  are  seduced,  j-ou 
will  get  £2  for  yourself ; but  you  will  lose  your  char- 
acter, and  you  may  have  a baby  which  it  will  cost  all 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  47 

your  wages  to  keep.  Now  I will  give  you  if  you 
will  not  be  seduced  ; which  will  you  have  ?”  “Please, 
sir,  I will  be  seduced.”  “And  face  the  pain,  and  the 
wrong-doing,  and  the  possible  ruin  and  ending  your 
days  on  the  streets,  all  for  the  difference  of  one 
pound  ? ” “Yes,  sir,”  and  she  burst  into  tears,  “ we 
are  so  poor.”  Could  any  proof  be  more  conclusive  as  to 
the  absolute  inability  of  this  girl  of  sixteeyi  to  form  an 
estimate  of  the  value  of  the  only  commodity  with  which 
the  law  considers  her  amply  able  to  deal  the  day  after  she 
is  thirteen  ? 

THE  RUIN  OF  THE  VERY  YOUNG. 

There  is  fortunately  no  need  to  dwell  upon  this 
revolting  phase  of  criminality,  for  it  is  recognized  by 
law,  and  the  criminals  when  caught  are  heavily  pun- 
ished. My  object  throughout  has  been  to  indicate 
crimes  virtually  encouraged  by  the  law  ; but  it  is  nec- 
essary to  refer  to  cases  where  even  penal  servitude  has 
not  deterred  men  from  the  perpetration  of  this  most 
ruthless  of  outrages,  in  order  to  show  the  need  for 
strengthening  the  barrier  which  alone  stands  between 
infants  and  the  brutal  lust  of  dissolute  men.  Here, 
for  example,  is  the  case  now  of  a tiny  little  mite,  in 
the  care  of  a rescue  officer  of  our  excellent  Society  for 
the  Protection  of  Children.  Her  name  is  Annie  Bry- 
ant, and  she  is  just  now  five  years  old.  Yet  that 
baby  girl  has  been  the  victim  of  outrage.  She  was 
enticed,  together  with  a companion,  into  a house  in 
the  New  Cut  on  May  28,  and  forcibly  outraged,  first 
by  a young  man  named  William  Hemmings,  and  then 
by  a fellow-lodger.  The  scoundrel  is  now  doing  two 


48 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


years’  penal  servitude,  but  his  accomplice  escaped.  A 
penny  cake  was  the  lure  which  enticed  the  baby  to 
her  ruin.  As  I nursed  her  on  my  knee,  and  made 
her  quite  happy  with  a sixpence,  the  matron  of  the 
refuge  where  the  little  waif  was  sheltered  told  how 
every  night  before  the  baby  girl  went  to  sleep  she 
would  shudder  and  cry,  and  whisper  in  her  ear.  And 
not  until  the  poor  child  was  solemnly  assured  and  re- 
assured that  the  door  was  fast,  and  that  no  “bad 
man  ’’  could  possibly  get  in,  would  she  dare  to  go  to 
sleep.  ‘Every  night  it  was  the  same,  and  when  I saw 
her  it  was  nearly  three  weeks  since  her  evil  fate  had 
befallen  her  ! 

This  instance  of  a child  of  such  tender  years  being 
subjected  to  outrage  is  not  an  isolated  one.  A girl  of 
eighteen  who  is  now  walking  Regent  street  had  her 
little  sister  of  five  violated  by  a “gentleman  ’’  whom 
she  had  brought  home.  She  had  left  the  room  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  he  took  advantage  of  her  absence  to 
ruin  the  poor  child,  who  was  sleeping  peacefully  in 
another  corner  of  the  room.  The  man  in  this  case 
escaped  unpunished.  As  a rule  the  children  who  are 
sent  to  homes  as  “ fallen  ’’  at  the  age  of  ten,  eleven 
and  twelve,  are  children  of  prostitutes,  bred  to  the 
business,  and  broken  in  prematurely  to  their  dreadful 
calling.  There  are  children  of  five  in  homes  now 
who,  although  they  have  not  technically  fallen,  are 
little  better  than  animals  possessed  by  an  unclean 
spirit,  for  the  law  of  heredity  is  as  terribly  true  in  the 
brothel  as  elsewhere.  One  child  in  St.  C3'prian’s  was 
turned  out  on  to  the  streets  b^^  her  mother  to  earn  a 
living  when  ten.  At  St.  Marj^’s  Home  they  do  not 


PLORKNCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


49 


receive  any  children  over  sixteen.  Sister  Kmma  has 
at  present  more  than  fifty  children  in  her  home  at 
Hants.  She  receives  none  under  twelve.  In  only 
four  cases  was  the  man  punished.  The  proportion  of 
victims  among  the  protected  is,  however,  compara- 
tively small  to  those  who  have  passed  the  fatal  age  of 
thirteen.  If  Mr.  Hastings,  who  would  fix  the  age  of 
consent  at  ten,  or  Mr.  Warton,  who  was  in  favor  of 
even  a lower  age  than  ten,  was  allowed  to  have  his 
way,  we  should  probably  have  to  start  homes  to  ac- 
commodate infants  of  four,  five  and  six  who  had  been 
ruined  “ by  their  own  consent.”  What  blasphemy! 

But  at  one  villa  in  the  north  of  London  I found 
through  the  assistance  of  a friend  a lovely  child  be- 
tween fourteen  and  fifteen,  tall  for  her  age,  but  singu- 
larly attractive  in  her  childish  innocence.  At  first 
the  keeper  strenuously  denied  that  they  had  any  such 
article  in  the  house,  but  on  mentioning  who  had  di- 
rected us  to  her  place  the  fact  was  admitted  and  an 
appointment  was  arranged.  There  was  another  girl 
in  the  house — a brazen-faced  harlot,  whose  flaunting 
vice  served  as  a foil  to  set  off  the  childlike,  spirituelle 
beauty  of  the  other’s  baby  face.  It  was  cruel  to  see 
the  poor  wee  features,  not  much  larger  than  those  of 
a doll,  of  the  delicately  nurtured  girl,  as  she  came  into 
the  room  with  her  fur  mantle  wrapped  closely  around 
her,  and  timidly  asked  me  if  I would  take  some  wine. 
There  she  was,  turned  over  to  the  first  comer  that 
would  pay,  but  still  to  all  appearance  so  modest,  the 
maiden  bloom  not  altogether  having  faded  off  her 
childish  cheeks,  and  her  pathetic  eyes,  where  still 
lingered  the  timid  glance  of  a frightened  fawn.  I felt 


50 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


like  one  of  the  damned.  “ She  saw  old  gentlemen,” 
she  said,  ‘‘almost  exclusively.  Sometimes  it  was 
rather  bad,  but  she  liked  the  life,”  she  said,  timidly 
trying  to  face  the  grim  inexorable,  ‘‘ and  the  wine, 
she  was  so  fond  of  that,”  although  her  glass  stood 
untasted  before  her.  Poor  thing  ! When  I left  the 
house  as  a guilty  thing,  shrinking  away  abashed 
from  before  the  presence  of  the  child  with  her  baby 
eyes,  I said  to  the  keeper  who  let  me  out,”  She  is  too 
good  for  her  trade,  poor  thing.”  ” Wait  a bit,”  said 
the  woman,  with  a leer.  ” She  is  very  young — only 
turned  fourteen,  and  has  just  come  out,  you  know. 
Come  again  in  a couple  of  months,  and  you  will  see 
a great  change.”  A great  change,  indeed.  Would 
to  God  she  died  before  that  ! And  she  was  but  one. 

HOW  CRIMINALS  ARE  SHIELDED  BY  THE  LAW. 

This  frightful  development  of  fantastic  vice  is 
directly  encouraged  by  the  law,  which  marks  off  all 
girls  over  thirteen  as  fair  game  for  men.  It  is  onl}^  in 
the  spring  of  this  year  that  a man  was  sentenced  to  a 
term  of  imprisonment  for  indecent  assault  upon  a 
child.  It  was  shown  in  evidence  that  he  had  violated 
more  than  a dozen  children  just  over  thirteen,  whom 
he  had  enticed  into  back  yards  by  promises  of  sweet- 
meats, but  these  were  over  age,  and  so  he  escaped  scot- 
free,  until  one  day  he  was  fortunately  caught  with  a 
child  under  thirteen,  and  was  promptly  punished. 
The  Rev.  J.  Horsley,  the  chaplain  at  Clerkenwell, 
stated  last  year  : ‘ ‘ There  is  a monster  now  walking 
about  who  acts  as  clerk  in  a highly  respectable  estab- 
lishment. He  is  fifty  5^ears  of  age.  For  j'ears  it  has 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  5 1 

been  his  villainous  amusement  to  decoy  and  ruin  chil- 
dren. A very  short  time  ago  sixteen  cases  were 
proved  against  him  before  a magistrate  on  the  Surrey 
.^ide  of  the  river.  The  children  were  all  fearfully  in- 
jured, possibly  for  life.  Fourteen  of  the  girls  were 
thirteen  years  old,  and  were  therefore  beyond  the 
protected  age,  and  it  could  not  be  proved  that  they 
were  not  consenting  parties.  The  wife  of  the  scoun- 
drel told  the  ofl&cer  who  had  the  case  in  charge  that 
it  was  her  opinion  that  her  husband  ought  to  be 
burned.  Yet  by  the  English  law  we  cannot  touch 
this  monster  of  depravity,  or  so  much  as  inflict  a 
small  fine  on  him.” 

A CEOSE  TIME  FOR  GIRES. 

Before  the  14th  of  August  it  is  a crime  to  shoot  a 
grouse,  lest  an  immature  cheeper  should  not  yet  have 
a fair  chance  to  fly.  The  sportsman  who  wishes  to 
follow  the  partridge  through  the  stubbles  must  wait 
till  September  i,  and  the  close  time  for  pheasants  is 
even  later.  Admitting  that  women  are  as  fair  game 
as  grouse  and  partridges,  why  not  let  us  have  a close 
time  for  bipeds  in  petticoats  as  well  as  for  bipeds  in 
feathers  ? At  present  that  close  time  is  absurdly  low. 
The  day  after  a girl  has  completed  her  thirteenth  year 
she  is  perfectly  free  to  dispose  of  her  person  to  the 
first  purchaser.  A bag  of  sweets,  a fine  feather,  a 
good  dinner,  or  a treat  to  the  theater  are  sufficient  to 
induce  her  to  part  with  that  which  may  be  lost  in  an 
hour,  but  can  never  be  recovered.  This  is  too  bad. 
It  does  not  give  the  girls  a fair  chance.  The  close 
time  ought  to  be  extended  until  they  have  at  least 


52 


THK  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


attained  physical  maturit3L  That  surely  is  not  put- 
ting the  matter  on  too  sentimental  grounds.  Fish 
out  of  season  are  not  fit  to  be  eaten.  Girls  who  have 
not  reached  the  age  of  puberty  are  not  fit  even  to  be 
seduced.  The  law  ought  at  least  to  be  as  strict  about 
a live  child  as  about  a dead  salmon.  The  recommen- 
dation of  the  Lord’s  Committee  was  that  the  close 
time  should  last  for  sixteen  years.  That  was  the  age 
accepted  by  the  House  of  Lords  in  two  successive 
years,  and  that  is  the  age  which  the  late  Home  Secre- 
tary promised  to  insert  in  the  present  bill,  which 
legalizes  consent  when  the  girl  is  fifteen  years  old  and 
a day. 

HOW  THF  LAW  FACILITATES  ABDUCTION. 

It  is  sometimes  said  that  these  children  ought  to 
be  looked  after  by  their  parents,  but  those  who  resort 
to  that  argument  forget  that  the  law  plays  into  the 
hands  of  the  abductor.  Suppose  a child  of  thirteen, 
either  in  a fit  of  temper  or  enticed  by  the  bribes  of  a 
procuress,  once  gets  within  the  precincts  of  a brothel, 
what  is  the  parent  to  do  ? The  brothel-keeper  has 
only  to  keep  the  door  locked  to  defj'  the  father.  If 
she  had  stolen  a doll  he  could  have  got  a search  war- 
rant for  stolen  property,  but  as  it  is  only  his  daughter 
he  can  do  nothing.  It  is  true  that  there  is  a mode  of 
procedure  by  habeas  co7pus,  but  that  is  so  cumbrous 
and  so  costly  that  it  is  practicallj^  unavailable  for  the 
poor.  Counsel’s  opinion  was  recentl}^  taken  bj^  the 
abductor  of  a boy  as  to  what  steps  could  be  taken  to 
prevent  the  father  obtaining  possession  of  his  son. 
The  answer  was  as  follows  ; Refuse  father  admit- 


pi^orijnce;  crittknton  missions.  53 

tance.  You  can  keep  the  boy  until  habeas  corpus  is 
obtained.  At  the  very  earliest  this  cannot  be  secured 
until  after  twenty-four  hours  at  least.  The  hearing 
of  the  case  to  show  cause  will  wait  about  a week  for 
a turn.  The  costs  are  uncertain,  from  £y:>  to  ^50. 

Take  another  case.  In  Hull  last  August  a man 
kept  a child’s  brothel,  locally  known  as  “the  Infant 
School.’’  He  kept  no  fewer  than  fourteen  children 
there,  the  eldest  only  fifteen,  and  some  as  young  as 
twelve.  The  mothers  had  gone  to  the  house  to  try 
and  claim  their  children,  and  had  been  driven  off  by 
the  prisoner  with  the  most  horrible  abuse,  and  had 
no  power  to  get  the  children  away  or  even  to  see 
them.  Fortunately,  the  old  reprobate  had  sold  drink 
without  a license.  For  this  offense,  and  not  for  his 
stealing  children,  the  police  broke  into  his  house  and 
secured  his  conviction.  By  law,  abduction  is  no  offense 
unless  the  girl  is  in  the  custody  of  her  father  at  the 
time  of  her  abduction. 

How  easy  it  is  for  a man  to  seduce  a child  with 
impunity  the  following  record  taken  from  the  report 
of  a case  heard  in  Hammersmith  police-court  last 
March  will  show  : 

Walter  Franklin,  who  lived  in  North-avenue, 
Fulham,  was  summoned  for  unlawfully  taking  Annie 
Summers,  an  unmarried  girl,  under  the  age  of  six- 
teen, out  of  the  possession  of  her  master,  and  against 
the  will  of  her  father.  Mr.  Gregory  said  he  appeared 
on  behalf  of  the  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Young 
Girls  to  support  the  summons.  The  girl,  who  was 
fourteen,  was  in  service,  and  met  the  defendant  while 
on  her  way  to  her  father  to  obtain  a change  of  linen. 


54 


The  traffic  in  girls. 


He  invited  her  to  his  house,  where  he  kept  her  all 
night,  and  turned  her  out  in  the  morning.  She  was 
found  by  her  father  in  Chelsea.  Mr.  Shell  referred  to 
the  case  of  “Queen  and  Miller,’’  and  thought  no 
charge  had  been  disclosed,  as  she  was  not  in  the  cus- 
tody of  her  father.  The  case  fell  in  with  the  decis- 
ion in  “ Queen  and  Miller.’’  In  that  case  it  was  the 
converse.  The  girl  had  left  her  father,  and  was  on 
the  way  to  her  mistress.  Mr.  Gregory  : You  think 
she  was  not  in  the  custod}''  of  either  ? Mr.  Shell  re- 
plied in  the  affirmative.  The  summons  was  then 
withdrawn. 

IMPRISONED  IN  BROTHELS. 

It  is  easy  enough  to  get  into  a brothel,  it  is  by  no 
means  easy  to  get  out.  Apart  from  the  dress  houses, 
where  women  are  practically  prisoners,  forbidden  to 
cross  the  doorstep  and  chained  to  the  house  by  debt, 
cases  are  constantly  occurring  in  which  girls  find 
themselves  under  lock  and  key. 

Alice  B.,  a Devonshire  girl  of  twenty  j^ears  of 
age,  came  to  London  to  service  on  the  death  of  her 
father.  She  was  seduced  w-hen  in  service  by  a doc- 
tor who  lodged  in  the  house  ; but  after  he  left  she 
kept  company  with  an  apparently  respectable  3’oung 
man.  She  was  engaged  to  be  married,  arid  all 
seemed  to  be  going  well,  when  one  Sunday  afternoon, 
as  they  were  enjoying  their  Sunday  walk,  he  pro- 
posed to  call  and  see  his  aunt,  who  lived,  he  said,  at 
No.  --  Queen’s- road,  St.  John’s-wood.  Together 
with  her  sweetheart  she  entered  the  house  and  had 
tea  with  his  supposed  aunt.  After  tea  she  was  asked 


PLORENCK  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


55 


if  she  would  not  like  to  wash  her  hands,  and  she  was 
taken  upstairs  to  a handsomely  furnished  bedroom 
and  left  alone.  She  first  discovered  her  situation  by 
hearing  the  key  turn  in  the  lock.  For  three  weeks 
she  was  never  allowed  to  leave  the  room,  but  was 
compelled  to  receive  the  visits  of  her  first  seducer, 
who  seems  to  have  employed  her  sweetheart  to  lure 
her  into  this  den.  She  implored  her  captor  to  release 
her,  but  although  he  took  her  to  the  theater  and  the 
opera,  dressed  her  in  fine  clothes,  and  talked  of  mar- 
rying her  abroad,  he  never  allowed  her  to  escape. 
When  he  was  not  with  her,  she  was  kept  under  lock 
and  key.  When  he  was  with  her,  she  was  a captive 
under  surveillance.  This  went  on  for  six  or  seven 
weeks.  The  girl  was  well  fed  and  cared  for,  and  had 
a maid  to  wait  on  her  ; but  she  fretted  in  captivity, 
dreaming  constantly  of  escape,  yet  being  utterly  un- 
able to  get  out  of  the  closely  guarded  house.  At  last 
one  morning  she  was  roused  by  an  unusual  noise.  It 
was  the  sweep  brushing  the  chimney.  Her  door  had 
to  be  opened  to  allow  him  to  enter  the  adjoining 
room.  She  rose,  dressed  herself  in  her  old  clothes — 
which  fortunately  had  not  been  removed — and  fled 
for  her  life.  She  found  a little  side  door  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  back  stairs  open  and  in  a moment  she  was 
free.  She  had  neither  hat  nor  bonnet,  nor  had  she  a 
penny  she  could  call  her  own.  Her  one  thought  was 
to  get  as  far  away  as  possible  from  the  hated  house. 
For  three  or  four  da3^s  she  wandered  friendless  and 
helpless  about  the  street,  not  knowing  where  to  go. 
The  police  were  kind  to  her  and  saved  her  from  in- 
sult, but  she  was  nearly  starved  when,  by  a happy 


56 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


inspiration,  she  made  her  way  to  a Salvation  Army 
meeting  at  Whitechapel,  where  she  fell  into  good 
hands.  She  was  passed  on  to  their  Home  and  then 
to  the  Rescue  Society,  by  whose  agency  she  found  a 
situation,  where  she  is  at  the  present  moment. 

It  would  be  painful  to  discover  how  many  girls 
are  at  this  moment  imprisoned  like  Alice  B.  in  the 
brothels  of  London. 

THE  POLICE  AND  THE  FOREIGN  SLAVE  TRADE. 

The  power  of  the  police  over  women  in  the  streets 
is  already  ample,  not  merely  for  the  purposes  of  main- 
taining order  and  for  preventing  indecenc}^  and  moles- 
tation, but  also  for  the  purpose  of  levying  blackmail 
upon  unfortunates.  I have  been  assured  by  a chap- 
lain of  one  of  her  Majesty’s  jails,  who  perhaps  has 
more  opportunities  of  talking  to  these  women  than 
any  other  individual  in  the  realm,  that  there  is  abso- 
lute unanimity  in  the  ranks  that  if  they  do  not  tip  the 
police  they  get  run  in.  From  the  highest  to  the  low- 
est, he  informs  me,  the  universal  testimony  is  that 
you  must  pay  the  constable,  or  you  get  into  trouble. 
With  them  it  has  come  to  be  part  of  the  recognized 
necessities  of  their  profession.  Tipping  porters  is 
contrary  to  the  by-laws  of  the  railway  companies,  yet 
it  is  constantly  done  b}^  passengers  ; and  tipping  the 
police  is  as  constant  a practice  on  the  part  of  the 
women  of  the  street.  Some  pay  with  purse,  others 
with  person — many  poor  wretches  with  both.  There 
are  good  policemen  who  would  not  touch  the  monej^ 
of  a harlot  or  drink  with  her.  But  there  are  great 
numbers  who  regard  these  things  as  the  perquisites  of 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  57 

their  oflSce,  and  who  act  on  their  belief.  The  power 
of  a policeman  over  a girl  of  the  streets,  although 
theoretically  very  slight,  is  in  reality  almost  despotic. 
“ If  you  quarrel  with  a policeman  you  are  done  for,” 
is  not  far  from  the  truth. 

THE  IMPORT  OF  FOREIGN  GIRES  TO  LONDON. 

lyOndon,  say  those  who  are  engaged  in  the  white 
slave  trade,  is  the  greatest  market  of  human  flesh  in 
the  whole  world.  Like  other  markets,  the  trade  con- 
sists of  imports  and  exports,  and  although  we  have 
heard  a great  deal  of  late  about  the  exportation  of 
English  girls  abroad,  there  is  a chapter  quite  as 
ghastly  which  remains  to  be  written  concerning  the 
import  of  foreign  girls  into  England.  Girls  are  regu- 
larly brought  over  to  London  from  France,  Belgium, 
Germany,  and  Switzerland  for  the  purpose  of  being 
ruined.  The  idea  of  the  men  who  import  these  girls, 
many  of  whom  are  perfectly  respectable,  is  to  force 
them  to  lead  a life  of  vice  from  which  they  can  reap 
a heavy  profit.  There  is  a great  colony  of  maque- 
reaux  in  the  French  quarter  whose  chief  idea  of  se- 
curing an  easy  livelihood  is  to  get  a girl  into  their 
possession,  body  and  soul,  to  drive  her  upon  the 
street,  and  to  live  and  thrive  upon  the  profits  of  her 
prostitution. 

Some  very  remarkable  cases  of  importation  have 
been  exposed  by  Miss  Sterling,  the  devoted  and  pub- 
lic-spirited founder  of  the  Edinburgh  and  Leith  Chil- 
dren’s Aid  and  Refuge.  According  to  the  oflScial 

correspondent,  George  N , described  by  the  pastor 

in  Hamburg  as  ‘ ‘ the  young  German  workman  who 


58 


The  traffic  in  girls. 


did  certainly  trade  in  young  girls,”  got  two  girls, 
Annie  and  Elise,  by  the  following  advertisement  in 
the  Refor7n  of  Hamburg  ; ‘‘A  good  family  in  Edin- 
burgh, in  Scotland,  wish  to  adopt  a girl,  age  nine  to 
twelve  years  of  age ; a child  of  poor  parents  or 
orphan  preferred  ; address  letters  to  No.  424,  Stock- 
bridge  Post  Office,  Edinburgh.”  After  Miss  Sterling 

rescued  these  poor  children  from  his  clutches,  N 

became  very  violent,  and  police  protection  was  af- 
forded Miss  Sterling  for  five  months.  She  was 
threatened  with  death,  and  went  about  in  fear  of  her 
life,  her  only  offense  being  that  she  had  rescued  two 
wee  bairns  from  the  hand  of  a slave  trader. 

The  work  of  inquiring  into  the  ramifications  of 
this  new  slave  trade  was  the  most  dangerous  part  of 
the  investigations.  The  traffic  is  almost  entirely  in 
the  hands  of  ex-convicts,  who  knew  too  well  the  dis- 
comforts of  the  viaison  correctionnelle  to  stick  at  any 
trifles  which  might  remove  an  inconvenient  witness 
to  help  them  to  escape  conviction.  It  w^as  at  first  a 
new  sensation  for  me  to  sit  smoking  and  drinking 
with  men  fresh  from  jail  in  the  “snug”  of  a gin 
palace,  and  asking  as  to  the  precise  cost  of  disposing 
of  girls  in  foreign  brothels.  One  excellent  trader  who 
dwells  in  such  odor  of  sanctity  as  can  come  from 
having  his  headquarters  within  archiepiscopal  shade 
kindly  undertook  to  dispose  of  a mistress  of  whom  it 
was  supposed  that  I wished  to  rid  myself  before  my 
approaching  marriage  by  depositing  her  without  anj^ 
ado  in  a house  of  ill-fame  in  Brussels.  For  this  con- 
siderable service  he  would  only  charge  ^10.  Another 
agent  eagerly  competed  for  the  job,  and  was  ready  to 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  59 

put  it  through  straight  if  the  other  had  held  back. 
With  a heroism  and  self-sacrifice  worthy  of  the 
sainted  martyrs  a pure  and  noble  girl  volunteered  to 
face  the  frightful  risks  of  being  placed  in  the  Belgian 
brothel  if  it  was  thought  necessary  to  complete  the 
exposure.  “ God  has  been  with  me  hitherto,”  said 
she;  ‘‘why  should  He  forsake  me  if  in  His  cause  I 
face  the  risks  ? Surely  He  will  take  care  of  me  there 
as  well  as  here.”  I would  not  sanction  so  terrible  an 
experiment.  But  that  there  are  women  capable  of 
such  sublimity  of  devotion  to  the  cause  of  their  out- 
raged and  degraded  sisters  tends  to  relieve,  as  by  a 
ray  of  Heaven’s  light,  the  darkness  of  this  awful  hell. 

If  you  want  to  stop  the  trade  put  a trustworthy 
person  on  board  steamers  to  warn  the  girls,  and  get 
some  one  to  see  to  it  that  the  Procureur  du  Roi  does 
his  duty.  That  would  cut  the  trade  up  by  the  roots, 
so  far  as  it  is  carried  on  in  unwilling  girls. 

AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  A ‘‘PARCEL”  SHIPPED  TO 
BORDEAUX. 

The  following  is  the  story  of  one  who,  for  no  lofty 
motive  but  from  the  dire  compulsion  of  adverse  des- 
tiny, was  doomed  for  three  years  and  nine  months  to 
sojourn  in  a foreign  brothel.  This  person  had  spent 
nearly  four  years  in  a house  of  ill-fame  in  Bordeaux, 
where  she  had  been  placed  by  a scoundrelly  Greek 
who  once  kept  a cigar  shop  in  a street  leading  off 
Regent  street,  and  who  took  her  and  three  others 
over  from  Rondon  on  the  assurance  that  he  would 
find  them  good  situations  either  as  bar-maids  or  in 
gentlemen’s  families.  Her  story,  which  is  confirmed 


6o 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


in  many  details  by  ber  husband,  whom  she  rejoined 
after  her  prolonged  sojourn  in  the  south  of  France,  is 
fairly  typical  of  the  way  in  which  the  foreign  slave 
trade  is  worked  : 

It  is  now  nearly  six  years  since  (said  Mrs.  M.), 
after  my  husband’s  prolonged  ill-health  had  brought 
our  little  household  to  the  verge  of  destitution  that  I 
left  him  to  make  my  living.  One  of  my  friends,  an 
Knglish  girl  in  an  honest  situation,  told  me  that  a 
certain  Greek,  whose  address  she  mentioned,  was 
anxious  to  take  her  and  three  other  girls  to  Bordeaux, 
where  he  could  find  them  excellent  situations  as  soon 
as  they  arrived.  I was  unhappy  owing  to  the  quarrel 
with  my  husband,  and  I grasped  the  suggestion  that 
I should  go  with  her  to  Bordeaux  as  afibrding  the 
means  of  escape  from  the  associations  and  sufierings 
with  which  I was  so  painfully  familiar  in  London.  I 
saw  the  Greek,  and  he  convinced  me  that  he  was  quite 
able  to  fulfill  his  promise  and  place  me  in  a good  situa- 
tion if  I would  only  put  myself  in  his  hands. 

Foolishly  enough,  for  I had  not  learned  wisdom  by 
painful  experience,  I consented  to  go  with  m}^  friend 
and  two  others.  Our  names  were  Marj-  Hanson, 
aged  twenty,  Rosina  Marks,  whose  age  I don’t  remem- 
ber, Anna  Giffard,  a dressmaker,  aged  twent3’-five, 
and  myself,  Amelia  M.,  but  I went  b}'  the  name 
of  Amelia  Powell.  We  were  all  taken  down  to  St. 
Katharine’s  Dock,  and  placed  on  board  a steamer 
bound  for  Bordeaux.  We  left  London  on  a Thursday 
night  in  February  or  March,  1879,  and  arrived  in 
Bordeaux,  on  Sunday,  about  seven  in  the  evening. 
From  the  steamer  w^e  were  taken  direct,  suspecting 


FI.ORKNCK  CRITTKNTON  MISSIONS. 


6l 


nothing,  to  the  house  of  Mdme.  Suchon,  36  Rue 
Lambert,  which  we  believed  to  be  a hotel,  or  the 
house  of  the  friend  to  whom  the  Greek  was  about  to 
introduce  us  ; but  the  landlady  was  very  kind,  and 
we  felt  convinced  that  the  Greek  was  a man  of  his 
word.  On  Monday,  however,  a cruel  awakening 
awaited  us.  Our  own  clothes  were  taken  away,  and 
we  were  tricked  out  in  silk  dresses  and  other  finery. 
Before  that,  however,  we  were  taken  to  a doctor. 
We  were  alarmed  at  this,  and  protested,  but  unfort- 
unately we  could  speak  no  French,  and  the  doctor 
was  almost  as  ignorant  of  English.  What  were  we  to 
do  ? We  were  alone  in  a strange  land  ; the  man  who 
had  taken  us  over  had  disappeared.  We  were  abso- 
lutely at  the  mercy  of  the  keepers  of  the  house;  after 
the  examination  the  mistress  gave  us  the  fine  clothes 
I have  spoken  of,  and  insisted  that  very  night,  after 
giving  us  champagne,  upon  introducing  us  to  gentle- 
men. I objected,  and  declared  that  I should  leave. 
“You  can’t  do  that,’’  said  the  landlady,  “because 
you  are  indebted  to  me  eighteen  hundred  francs.’’ 
“ Eighteen  hundred  francs?  ’’  said  I.  “ Why,  I have 
not  been  in  the  house  two  daj^s.”  “ Oh,  you  forget,’’ 
said  she;  “you  have  to  pay  the  cost  of  your  commis- 
sion for  being  brought  over,  and  the  price  of  the  silk 
dress  you  are  wearing.’’ 

That  is  the  regular  rule,  as  I afterwards  learned. 
Girls  are  brought  from  England  under  the  belief  that 
they  are  going  to  a pleasant  situation,  and  then  they 
are  consigned  to  one  of  the  houses  at  so  many  pounds 
per  head.  The  purchase-money  or  commission,  which 
varies  from  ^10  upward,  is  entered  against  the  girl  as 


62 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


a debt  to  her  landlady.  That,  however,  is  not  the 
worst.  They  equip  you  in  fine  clothes,  which  they 
insist  upon  you  taking,  and  then  debit  you  with  twice 
their  value,  running  up  in  this  way  a debt  of  perhaps 
1, 800  f.  I was  told  that  I must  be  a good  girl,  and 
do  as  they  wished  me  to,  and  I would  soon  earn  suffi- 
cient money  to  get  back  to  my  husband,  but  if  I did 
not  I would  never  see  him  again.  I may  mention 
that  I told  the  doctor  that  I was  a married  woman. 
“Where  is  your  husband?’’  he  said,  and  proceeded 
without  further  notice  with  my  examination. 

It  was  some  time  before  I could  reconcile  myself  to 
receiving  gentlemen,  but  what  weighed  with  me  was 
that  unless  I consented  I should  never  earn  sufficient 
mone)^  to  pay  off  my  debt  and  return  to  London.  In 
order  to  raise  funds  I w^as  submissive,  and  being  then 
young  and  attractive  I earned  m}^  money  in  less  than 
six  months.  Of  course  none  of  that  money  actually 
remains  with  you.  It  is  entered  to  your  credit  in  the 
books  of  the  establishment,  and  the  theor}^  is  that 
when  you  have  worked  off  your  debt  you  are  free  to 
go,  but  the  keeper  takes  very  good  care  that  3"Ou  shall 
never  work  off  5^our  debt.  When  the  account  shows 
that  you  have  only  four  or  five  hundred  francs  against 
you  the  mistress  sets  to  work  to  induce  you,  b}'  cozen- 
ing, cajoling,  or  absolute  fraud,  to  accept  other 
articles  of  clothing.  Thus  you  go  on  month  after 
month. 

“ How  long  did  3'-ou  sta3^  there  ? ’’  “ Three  years 

and  nine  months.’’  “ And  why  in  the  world  did  3’ou 
not  communicate  with  3'our  husband  ? ’’  “ We  were 

never  allowed  to  send  letters  out  of  the  house.  Let- 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  63 

ters  were  allowed  to  come  in  after  they  had  been  read 
by  the  mistress,  but  no  replies  were  ever  permitted. 
Sometimes  we  used  to  try  and  send  messages  by  En- 
glish sailors  who  used  to  visit  us,  but  never  any  answer 
came.  There  were  seventeen  girls  in  the  house, 
which  was  a large  one,  the  entry  being  three  francs. 
Ours  was  a middle-class  house  as  distinguished  from 
the  low-class  one,  the  entrance  to  which  is  one  franc, 
and  the  fashionable  house  in  the  Rue  Berguin,  where 
the  entrance  fee  is  ten  francs  and  only  four  girls  are 

kept.  When  I was  there  an  English  girl  called  S , 

who  was  said  to  be  the  daughter  of  a coach  builder  in 
the  Edgware  road,  died.  A sum  stood  on  the  book 
as  due  to  the  house,  and  when  a brother  came  over 
from  Eondon  to  take  her  dead  body  home  for  burial 
the  mistress  refused  to  allow  the  corpse  to  be  removed 
until  the  debt  was  paid.  She  had  been  taken  from 
England  to  Spain,  and  had  been  bought  or  exchanged 
from  the  Spanish  house  to  the  one  in  Bordeaux  where 
she  died.  One  of  the  English  girls  who  came  out 
with  me — Mary  Hanson — was  sold  off  to  South 
America.  When  I say  sold,  I mean  that  an  agent 
who  was  pieking  up  girls  arranged  to  pay  her  debt, 
and  took  her  off  with  him  to  the  New  World.  She 
assented,  as  girls  always  do  when  they  have  been 
long  in  one  house,  and  see  no  prospect  of  paying 
their  debt,  for  those  who  want  to  remove  them  always 
hold  out  inducements  that  they  will  be  able  to  buy 
their  liberty  much  sooner  in  the  new  place  to  which 
they  are  going. 

“ Do  you  know  any  girls  who  have  ever  bought 
their  liberty?”  ‘‘No.  We  are  always  trying  and 


64 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


trying,  but  we  never  succeed,  although  we  have 
earned  sufficient  money  over  and  over  again  to  pa}^ 
for  all  that  has  been  spent  upon  us,  for  every  artifice 
is  used  by  the  keepers,  as  I have  explained,  to  hold 
us  in  their  power.  Drink  is  a poteyit  agency  and 
easily  tised." 

“ How  many  English  girls  were  there  in  the  house 
of  Mdme.  Suchon  ? ” “Two;  but  we  used  to  meet 
with  others  who  were  in  other  houses  in  the  town  at 
the  visile,  when  we  went  to  see  the  doctor  at  the  pub- 
lic building  in  the  Rue  Graffe  on  Tuesda3^s,  Thurs- 
days, and  Saturdays.  Mary  Hanson  came  around 
to  bid  us  good-bye  before  she  went  to  South  Amer- 
ica.’’ “Could  she  not  have  made  her  escape  when 
visiting?’’  “She  was  not  alone.  We  are  never 
allowed  out  except  in  company  with  the  mistress.’’ 

“ How  was  it  then  thatj^ou  got  free  ? ’’  “A  gen- 
man  from  Toulouse  took  a fanc\"  to  me,  paid  off  all 
my  debts,  and  gave  me  money  to  pa}^  mj^  passage  to 
London.  Otherwise  I should  have  been  there  to  this 
day.’’  “What  English  girl  did  jmu  leave  in  the 
house?’’  “Poor  Rosina  Marks,  who  cried  verj' 
piteously  when  I came  awajL  ‘ O how  luckj’-  jmu 
are,  Amelia,’  she  said  ; ‘as  for  me,  I shall  never  be 
able  to  pay  my  debt,  and  shall  die  here.’  ’’  “Is 
Rosina  there  still?  ’’  “To  the  best  of  my  belief,  but 
of  course  she  is  never  allowed  to  write,  and  all  that  I 
know  is  that  she  was  there  two  j^ears  ago,  and  I have 
never  heard  of  her  death.  Her  famih^  are  publicans 
in  Southampton,  and  her  father  was  employed  at 

Squire near  that  town.  A very  timid  girl  was 

Rosina,  and  madam  used  to  bully  her  fearfully.  I 


FLORENCE  CRITTFNFON  MISSIONS.  65 

have  often  wished  that  something  could  be  done  to 
get  her  out,  but  there  seems  no  chance.” 

Some  one  should  try  to  do  something  for  poor 
Rosina — if  she  be  still  alive  and  is  still  at  Bordeaux. 
But  who  knows  ? She  may  be  dead,  or  sold  to  Spain 
or  elsewhere,  or,  like  many  others,  she  may  have 
drunk  away  her  reason  and  her  senses.  There  are 
plenty  more  going  the  same  road.  Kvery  now  and 
then  we  hear  of  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  girls. 
Boys,  although  much  more  adventurous,  do  not  disap- 
pear in  this  way.  The  inference  is  plain.  There  have 
been  the  cases  from  West  Ham,  the  case  of  the  girl 
Hearnden,  at  Folkestone,  the  case  of  the  granddaugh- 
ter of  a correspondent  on  the  south  coast,  who  has 
written  to  us  imploring  to  know  whether  we  can  help 
her  to  tidings  of  her  vanished  child.  Now  that  the 
silence  has  been  broken  we  shall  hear  of  many  such, 
and  regret  their  multiplication.  The  one  safeguard  is 
Publicity,  Publicity,  Publicity  ! And  all  who  attempt 
to  silence  the  voice  of  warning  must  share  the  guilt  of 
those  upon  one  sjnall  portion  of  whose  crimes  it  is  our 
proud  privilege  to  have  turned  a little  of  the  wholesome 
light  of  day. 


tlje  Eato  Megartisi 


Would  Father  Vultures  so  Destroy  Their  Own 
Children  ? 


I,T  passes  the  comprehension  of  moth- 
to'l  ers  how  any  set  of  fathers  of  little 
girls  should  so  infamously  place  a 
premium  on  the  ruin  of  their  own 
daughters,  by  that  disgrace  to  civiliza- 
tion called  “ the  age  of  consent,”  ‘‘at  which 
a female  may  consent  to  the  violation  of  her 
own  person,”  which  averages,  in  this  Christian  land, 
by  laws  enacted  by  chivalrous  (?)  men,  the  age  of 
thirteen  years. 

For  the  following  list  we  are  indebted  to  A.  A. 
Powell  and  Anna  Rice  Powell,  the  grand  champions 
of  girlhood  as  the  editors  of  The  Philanthropist  : 


THE  ‘‘age  of  consent”  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


We  present  herewith  a revised  list  of  the  several  States  and 
Territories,  complete  except  Delaware  and  Utah,  with  the 
present  legal  “ age  of  consent”  in  each,  in  cases  in  the  crime 
of  rape.  The  figures  are  furnished  in  each  instance  by  the 

Secretary  of  State,  in  reply  to  our  inquiry,  as  follows  • 

66 


FLORENCi:  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  67 


Maine, 

14  years. 

North  Dakota, 

14  years. 

New  Hampshire, 

13 

(( 

Maryland, 

14 

Vermont, 

14 

<< 

Virginia, 

12 

Massachusetts, 

14 

West  Virginia, 

12 

( ( 

Connecticut, 

14 

< c 

North  Carolina, 

10 

<( 

Rhode  Island, 

14 

South  Carolina, 

10 

(( 

New  York, 

16 

Florida, 

17 

(( 

New  Jersey, 

16 

Georgia, 

10 

( ( 

Pennsylvania, 

16 

H 

Alabama, 

10 

(( 

Mississippi, 

16 

Douisiana, 

12 

(< 

Texas, 

10 

Tennessee, 

13 

( ( 

Kentucky, 

12 

Ohio, 

14 

n 

Michigan, 

14 

Illinois, 

14 

( ( 

Indiana, 

12 

Iowa, 

13 

( < 

Missouri, 

14 

( ( 

Minnesota, 

10 

n 

Wisconsin, 

12 

(< 

Nebraska, 

15 

n 

Kansas, 

18 

n 

Nevada, 

14 

a 

Montana, 

15 

Wyoming, 

18 

(( 

Idaho, 

10 

California, 

16 

( i 

New  Mexico, 

14 

Oregon, 

14 

( ( 

Washington, 

14 

Arkansas, 

14 

( ( 

Arizona, 

14 

i ( 

Colorado, 

16 

( < 

South  Dakota, 

10 

** 

Dist.  Columbia, 

16 

( < 

We  have  written  two  letters  of  inquiry  to  the  Secretary  of 
State  of  Delaware,  and  one  to  the  Governor,  but  as  yet  have 
no  reply  from  either.  As  we  understand  the  legal  situation  in 
Delaware,  the  shocking  statute  fixing  the  “ age  of  consent,”  iu 
cases  of  rape,  at  7 years,  still  stands  unrepealed;  but  a later  act, 
pertaining  to  seduction,  fixes  the  age  at  15  years.  Utah,  13 
years. 

Are  the  fathers  who  passed  such  laws  drunk  or 
insane?  When  can  a girl  legally  consent  to  honor- 
able marriage  ? At  seven  years  ? The  fathers  stand 
aghast.  At  ten  years?  “Do  you  think  this  legisla- 
ture is  composed  of  a set  of  fools  ? We  do  not  let  our 


68 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


babies  get  married.”  At  twelve  years?  At  thirteen 
years  ? At  sixteen  years  ? No  indeed ! We  as 
fathers  are  determined  to  protect  our  daughters  from 
men  with  intentions  of  honorable  marriage,  till  they 
are  eighteen  years  of  age.  Any  man  who  takes  away 
one  of  our  daughters  seventeen  years  old  and  mar- 
ries her  without  our  consent  is  guilty  of  serious  crime 
and  will  be  sternly  punished.  But  the  man  who  com- 
mits a rape  upon  our  little  girl  of  seven,  ten  or  thir- 
teen years  of  age, — why  that  is  a trivial  matter, — and 
if  he  swears  that  the  child  consented,  w'e  fathers  ar- 
range it  so  that  he  can  go  scot-free.  Of  course  a 
gentleman  (?)  who  would  outrage  a little  girl,  seven, 
ten  or  thirteen  years  of  age,  would  be  sure  to  tell  the 
truth  on  the  witness-stand  ! A man  of  such  noble 
character  would  scorn  to  commit  perjury  ! Men  who 
do  such  deeds  do  not  usually  choose  a crowded  thor- 
oughfare where  witnesses  might  prove  that  the  little 
one  resisted  to  the  utmost  her  assailant  of  fivefold 
strength.  And  when  a big  burly  man  fifty  years  of 
age  is  brought  into  a court  of  justice  and  confronted 
by  the  little  ten- year-old  victim  of  his  lust,  if  he  can 
prove  that  the  child,  for  a paper  of  cand}-,  consented 
to  an  act  of  which  her  childish  mind  is  ignorant,  that 
jury  of  tw'clve  men— probably  fathers  of  little  girls 
themselves — will  hold  the  child  guilty  and  the  man 
guiltless.  If  he  cannot  prove  consent,  still  he  may 
not  be  punished,  unless  it  is  proved  that  the  little 
child  who  might  weigh  seventy-five  pounds,  resisted 
until  exhaustion  or  death,  her  assailant  of  two  hun- 
dred pounds. 

Martha  K.  Pierce,  1,1,. B.  (Georgia  Mark),  in  her 


PLORENC:e  CRITI'ENTON  MISSIONS.  69 

very  fine  leaflet  published  by  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,“  Some 
lyCgal  Aspects  of  the  Question,  ’ ’ says  : 

“Now  as  to  the  exact  effect  of  dispensing  with 
proof  of  the  consent  or  non-consent  of  a girl,  much 
misapprehension  prevails.  It  must  not  be  imagined 
that  even  under  such  favorable  circumstances  as  are 
secured  by  this  rule,  the  conviction  of  any  guilty  man 
would  be  certain.  He  would  still  have  several  possi- 
ble defenses,  and  could  clear  himself  as  readily  by 
overturning  the  testimony  of  the  plaintiff  by  evidence 
contradictory  to  her  statements,  as  he  could  in  any 
other  criminal  case.  But  when  he  is  allowed  to  set 
up  the  plea  of  ‘ consent  ’ his  acquittal  is  almost  cer- 
tain. If  he  can  prove  the  acquiscence  of  his  victim, 
no  matter  how  or  when  it  was  obtained,  he  need  not 
make  any  attempt  to  deny  the  commission  of  the 
crime,  for  it  is  only  held  to  be  complete  when  it 
is  committed  by  force,  ‘ without  the  consent  and 
against  the  will  of  the  woman.’  The  crime  was  so 
defined  in  early  English  statutes,  and  the  definition  is 
not  satisfied  by  evidence  that  the  reluctance  of  the 
girl  was  overcome  by  fraud,  persuasion,  rewards  or 
promises.  It  makes  one’s  blood  boil  to  think  of  the 
relative  chances  afforded  by  our  laws  to  mature  vice, 
and  youthful,  trusting  innocence.  Occasionally  we 
find  in  the  reports  the  dictum  of  some  judge  to  the 
effect  that  if  the  defendant  intended  to  use  force  in 
case  other  means  failed  he  can  be  found  guilty,  but  it 
is  evident  that  only  a jury  of  skillful  mind-readers 
could  hope  to  arrive  at  the  truth  in  such  an  inquiry 
into  thoughts  and  purposes.  This  distinction  is  prac- 
tically valueless,  but  it  shows  that  there  are  men, 


70 


THE  TRAEFIC  IN  GIRES. 


who,  moved  by  a sense  of  the  injustice  of  letting  an 
offender  go  free  because  he  took  care  to  obtain  the 
consent  of  some  little  girl  of  tender  years  by  a gift  of 
a pretty  toy  or  a trifle  of  finery,  would,  if  they  could, 
stretch  the  provisions  of  our  law  far  enough  to  bring 
him  to  punishment.  On  the  other  hand  there  are 
judges  not  a few  who  stretch  the  law  to  set  a guilty 
man  free. 

“ A large  number  of  the  cases  of  the  kind,  given 
in  our  State  reports,  have  turned  upon  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  expressions  ‘ without  her  consent  ’ or 
‘ against  her  will  ’ one  or  both  of  which  will  be  found 
in  the  statutes  relating  to  girls  beyond  the  age  of  ten. 
In  New  York  it  is  held  that  ‘ any  fact  tending  to  the 
inference  that  there  was  not  the  utmost  reluctance 
and  the  utmost  resistance,  is  always  received.’  The 
People  vs.  Dohring,  59  N.  Y.,  is  the  case  of  a girl 
of  fourteen  in  the  employ  of  the  defendant.  She 
was  playing  in  his  barn  with  two  3'ounger  chil- 
dren when  the  defendant  entered  and  sent  the  latter 
away.  After  locking  the  door  he  called  the  plaintiflF 
down  from  the  loft.  Before  she  in  the  least  compre- 
hended his  purpose,  resistance  was  made  practically 
useless,  if  not  impossible.  Still  the  court  of  last 
resort  ruled  that  ‘ she  must  resist  until  exhausted  or 
overpowered,  for  a jurj^  to  find  that  it  is  against  her 
will.’ 

“In  Whittaker  vs.  The  State,  50  Wis.,  the  court 
saj^s,  ‘ We  are  satisfied  that  it  is  never  proper  or  safe 
to  instruct  the  jury  in  any  case  that  this  crime  maj" 
be  committed  with  the  consent  of  the  woman,  how- 
ever obtained.’  ‘ Resistance  and  the  dissent  ought  to 


FI,ORENCE  CRITT'ENTON  MISSIONS. 


71 


have  continued  to  the  last  and  the  physical  power 
of  the  woman  must  have  been  overcome  by  physical 
force.’  In  this  case  the  testimony  of  the  woman, 
given  in  broken  English,  is  affecting  in  its  simplicity 
and  earnestness,  but  her  evidence  could  not  outweigh 
that  of  the  defendant,  who  depended  upon  ‘ consent  ’ 
as  a defense. 

“ In  Commonwealth  vs.  McDonald,  no  Mass., 
the  supreme  court  held  that  the  instruction  of  the 
judge  of  the  lower  court  to  the  jury,  that  ‘the  jury 
must  be  satisfied  that  there  was  no  consent  during 
any  part  of  the  act,’  was  correct. 

“ In  a Michigan  case  ( Don  Moran  vs.  The  People, 
25,  Mich., ) a physician,at  whose  house  a consumptive 
girl  of  sixteen  had  been  placed  by  her  father  for  treat- 
ment, induced  her  by  false  representations  as  to  the 
state  of  her  health,  the  treatment  necessary  to  her 
recovery,  her  fathers  wishes,  etc.,  to  consent.  When 
found  out  and  brought  to  trial  he  set  up  her  willing- 
ness as  a defense,  but  the  lower  court  refused  to  admit 
it  because  of  the  manner  of  obtaining  it.  He  ap- 
pealed to  the  supreme  court,  by  whom  it  was  declared 
that  the  charge  of  the  judge  of  the  lower  court  was 
erroneous ; that  ‘ some  effect  must  be  given  to  the 
words  “by  force  and  against  her  will  ’’  ’ in  order  to 
bring  the  case  within  the  statute.  But  in  the  desire 
of  the  judges  to  secure  punishment  of  so  artful  and 
unprincipled  a man  as  the  defendant  had  proved 
himself  to  be,  it  occnrred  to  them  to  suggest,  on  send- 
ing the  case  back  for  a new  trial,  that  if  the  jury 
would  find  that  the  girl  was  so  deceived  as  to  be  in 


72 


th:b  traffic  in  girls. 


fear  of  death  unless  she  submitted,  they  might  by 
such  a finding  satisfy  the  statute. 

“ An  attempt  to  commit  this  crime  is  punishable  as 
a misdemeanor,  and  as  the  offense  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  prove,  guilty  parties  frequently  receiv^e  the 
light  penalty  provided  for  the  attempt,  because  of  the 
failure  of  the  prosecution  to  establish  the  principal 
charge. 

“ It  would  not  be  pleasant,  and  I hope  it  is  not 
necessary,  to  give  many  cases  out  of  the  host  that 
appear  in  our  state  reports,  in  order  to  give  fair 
knowledge  of  the  workings  of  our  laws  ; enough  in- 
stances have  been  given,  I trust,  to  show  how  the  let- 
ter of  these  statutes  kills  all  hope  of  justice  when 
unscrupulous  wrong-doers  keep  outside  of  their  provis- 
ions, as  they  easily  can.  The  sentiment  of  mankind 
has  recognized  the  superior  chastit}’  of  woman’s 
nature  ; her  natural  purity  of  heart  has  been  acknowl- 
edged and  praised  in  prose  and  poetrj*,  but  our  law 
does  not  recognize  it ; it  doubts  it ; collects  and 
weighs  evidence  against  it,  and  unless  a girl  dies  in 
the  attempt  to  defend  her  honor,  her  innocence  must 
be  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  a jury  of  men. 

“ That  no  man  shall  be  allowed  to  take  advantage 
of  his  own  wrong  is  a legal  maxim  upon  which  sound 
and  equitable  rules  of  evidence  have  been  based, 
which  bear  upon  other  crimes.  For  instance,  in  the 
crime  known  as  burglary,  which  is  defined  by  the 
common  law  as  the  ‘ breaking  and  entering  a house  in 
the  night-time  with  intent  to  commit  a felon3L’  break- 
ing is  essential  to  the  completion  of  the  offense,  but 
it  is  settled  law  that  his  deceit  will  not  be  permitted  to 


MISS  FRANCES  E.  WILLARD. 


FLORKNCS;  CRITTKNTON  MISSIONS.  73 

excuse  a defendant  who  has,  by  fraud,  prevailed  upon 
the  owner  of  a house  to  open  his  door  to  him.  Here 
we  see  that  any  person,  even  a man  of  ripe  age  and 
soimd  mind,  is  protected  by  the  law  from  the  conse- 
quences of  his  folly  in  yielding  to  the  false  representa- 
tions of  an  artful  burglar.  But  the  old  English  law 
did  not  entertain  such  sublime  ideas  of  the  honor  of 
either  sex  as  to  ‘ lay  the  blame  of  a mutual  fault  upon 
one  of  the  transgressors  only , ’ (Blackstone  4,  p.  21 1,) 
and  modern  American  law  is  shaped  and  moulded  ac- 
cording to  the  same  principle.  So  womanly  purity  is 
held  to  be  fair  game  for  wily  Lotharios,  who  may  take 
advantage  of  their  own  wrong  and  escape  punish- 
ment in  the  form  of  action  by  showing  to  the  judge 
and  jury  that  their  artifices  were  successful  in  leading 
their  victims  into  error. 

‘ ‘ Girls  below  ten  are,  as  we  have  seen,  protected 
in  this  country,  but  what  father  or  mother  whose  lit- 
tle daughter  yesterday  celebrated  her  tenth  anniver- 
sary can  bear  the  thought  that  she  is  now,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  law,  competent  to  so  consent  to  the  most 
grievous  and  irremediable  of  wrongs,  as  to  exculpate 
from  all  blame  her  partner  in  the  ‘ mutual  fault  ’ ? ” 

One  might  suppose  the  laws  to  be  made  for  the 
punishment  of  little  girls  and  the  acquittal  of  big, 
lecherous  scoundrels.  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard, 
President  of  the  World’s  and  National  Woman’s 
Christian  Temperance  Union,  ably  says,  “By  British 
law  a little  girl  who  was  not  old  enough  to  make  a 
legal  sale  of  her  own  doll,  was  declared  sufficiently 
wise  to  protect  her  own  honor.  Also  by  British  law 
it  has  been  held  that  no  child’s  testimony  could  be 


74 


The  traffic  in  girls. 


put  in  evidence  unless  the  little  creature  was  able  to 
explain  ‘ the  nature  of  an  oath.  ’ By  this  ingenious 
but  most  iniquitous  legislation,  the  ravisher  usually 
got  off  free ; for  if  the  child  were  thirteen  or  more, 
she  was  held  to  be  old  enough  to  consent,  in  which 
case  her  assailant  went  unpunished,  and  if  less  than 
thirteen,  she  could  seldom  explain  the  nature  of  an 
oath,  hence  could  not  bear  witness  against  him. 
Thus  considerately  have  men  from  time  immemorial, 
legislated  for  women.  Their  laws  have  shown  the 
mercy  that  a wolf  shows  a lamb.” 

But  even  a wolf  would  not  prey  on  its  own  species, 
and  would  be  far  too  decent  not  to  tear  to  pieces  the 
destroyer  of  its  own  flesh  and  blood.  It  remained 
for  civilized  and  so-callec  Christian  fathers  to  protect 
by  such  infamous  laws  the  villain  who  commits  an 
outrage  on  his  seven,  ten  or  thirteen  year  old  daugh- 
ter. We  never  knew  before  that  the  Seventh  Com- 
mandment reads,  ‘‘Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery 
unless  the  girl  or  woman  gives  her  consent.  ’ ’ 

But  as  if  the  foregoing  — the  relic  of  barbarous 
ancient  law  — were  not  infamous  enough,  in  some 
States,  notably  New  York,  after  the  Woman’s  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union,  led  by  their  energetic  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  Mary  T.  Burt,  had  secured  the  bill  raising 
the  age  of  consent  to  sixteen  years,  the  fathers  com- 
posing the  legislature  introduced  a bill  reading  : ‘‘Be 
it  enacted  that  hereafter  the  legal  age  at  which  a fe- 
male may  consent  to  the  violation  of  her  own  person, 
shall  be  reduced  from  sixteeyi  to  ten  years."  And  a 
bill  was  also  introduced  licensing  prostitution.  But 
the  Woman’s  Christian  Temperance  Union  was  on  the 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


75 


alert  and  a very  hail  of  letters  from  the  fathers  and 
mothers  of  New  York  State  warned  these  base  pol- 
iticians that  the  girlhood  of  that  great  Commonwealth 
was  not  to  be  sold  out  to  saloon-keepers  and  brothel- 
keepers  in  any  such  high-handed  manner,  and  both 
bills  - were  defeated.  Realizing  too  the  inseparable 
connection  between  the  saloon  and  the  brothel,  and 
that  girls  in  the  saloons  means  girls  in  the  house  of 
infamy,  these  mother-hearted  white  ribboners,  also 
defeated  a bill  gotten  up  in  the  interest  of  saloon- 
keepers that  “British  bar-maids  be  imported  for 
American  saloons.”  So  much  for  organized  mother- 
hood. How  much  more  could  organized  fatherhood 
accomplish,  especially  as  fathers  have  the  ballot,  that 
mighty  weapon  which  if  mothers  had,  they  would 
banish  the  saloon  in  one  election.  And  with  the  sa- 
loon would  go  three-fourths  of  the  social  evil. 

One  might  imagine  that  girls  belonged  to  an  alien 
race  from  boys,  and  were  not  daughters  of  the  same 
fathers,  judging  from  the  cruel  difference  made  in 
legislating  for  boys  and  girls.  Of  this  glaring  injus- 
tice, Martha  K.  Pearce,  LL.B.,  says  “Some  States 
have  been  careful  to  give  boys  under  fourteen  the 
benefit  of  the  common  law  regarding  the  age  of 
puberty,  and  they  are  excluded  by  the  terms  of  the 
statute  from  prosecution  for  this  crime  (of  rape).  In 
Illinois  the  statute  only  provides  for  the  punishment 
of  any  male  person  of  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and 
upward  who  shall  be  adjudged  guilty.  The  legisla- 
ture of  Ohio  raised  the  age  of  protection  for  boys  to 
seventeen  years,  but  in  the  same  statute  which  makes 


76 


THE  TRAEEIC  IN  GIRLS. 


it  impossible  to  even  bring  a boy  to  trial  for  tbis 
crime,  the  age  of  consent  ior  girls  is  fixed  at  ten  years.  ’ ’ 

This  distinction  of  sex  runs  through  all  the  laws 
relative  to  sexual  impurity.  For  the  seduction  of  a 
girl  how  trifling  is  the  penalty  ! Miss  Pearce,  whose 
legal  researches  make  her  works  authoritative,  says  : 

‘ ‘ I will  now  call  attention  to  a defect  in  even  the 
most  advanced  legislation,  which  practically  nulli- 
fies efforts  of  reformers.  I observe  in  the  States  in 
which  seduction  is  made  a felony,  to  be  punished  by 
imprisonment  for  a term  of  years,  the  statutes  provide 
foi  the  imposition  of  a fine  as  an  alternative.  The 
little  word  “or”  may  have  great  w^eight  in  a statute. 
It  is  easy  to  see  the  object  of  its  insertion  in  these 
new  laws.  It  furnishes  a cunningly  devised  way  of 
escape  for  convicted  persons  from  all  real  punishment. 
Possibly  some  poor,  unfriended  wretches  may  occa- 
sionally be  sent  to  prison  under  these  statutes,  but  no 
wealthy  man  will  ever  be  so  punished.  Such  men 
have  the  benefit  of  the  clauses  for  their  cases  made 
and  provided,  and  will  be  let  off  with  the  mere  nom- 
inal penalty  of  a fine.  And  what  a fine  ! Oiie  thou- 
sand dollars  seems  to  be  the  limit  of  value  that  ottr 
modern  legislators  can  place  upon  a woman' s hoiior ! 
We  cannot  afford  to  let  such  legislation  stand.  No 
amount  of  mone}^  no  political  influence  should  have 
power  to  shield  the  enemy  of  purity  from  a punish- 
ment which  will  impress  upon  him  the  fact  that  the 
decent  portion  of  society  abhors  his  sin.  No  woman, 
whatever  her  station,  can  escape  the  disgrace  which 
follows  upon  a departure  from  the  paths  of  rectitude. 
No  legal  penalty  can  be  so  swift,  so  lasting,  so  un- 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


77 


erring  in  its  searching  hold  upon  the  sensitive  chords 
of  feeling,  as  the  shame  which  society  heaps  upon  the 
miserable  girl  who  falls  a victim  to  deceit  or  fraud. 
It  is  but  just,  then,  that  every  man  who  is  proven 
guilty  should  have  meted  out  to  him  a punishment 
worthy  of  the  name.  There  should  no  chance  be 
given  for  his  escape  from  the  branding  disgrace  which 
a term  in  the  penitentiary  leaves. 

“ In  all  our  States  there  have  been  lamentable 
failures  of  justice  because  of  the  lack  of  protection  for 
girls  who  are  independent  of  parental  or  other  control. 
The  large  and  constantly  increasing  army  of  working 
girls,  living  away  from  home  without  responsible 
guardians  to  look  after  their  welfare,  should  be  pro- 
tected by  the  State  so  far  as  strict  laws  can  protect 
them. 

‘ ‘ At  present  it  is  necessary  to  take  out  a writ  of 
habeas  corpus  in  order  to  obtain  possession  of  an 
abducted  girl.  This  is  a long  and  expensive  process, 
and  our  laws  should  be  amended  so  that  a search 
warrant,  authorizing  oflBcers  to  enter  a house  where  it 
is  believed  a girl  is  hidden,  can  be  issued  without  any 
loss  of  time. 

“ The  same  considerations  which  apply  to  the  pun- 
ishment of  seduction  by  a fine  bear  upon  this  offense. 
The  Chicago  Herald  of  January  i,  1887,  mentions 
the  infliction  of  a fine  of  one  dollar  for  the  enticing  of 
a young  girl  to  a disreputable  place  on  the  night  of 
December  29,  1886.  When  such  miserable  traves- 
ties of  justice  can  take  place  under  our  existing  laws, 
it  is  time  that  discretion  in  the  matter  of  penalties 
should  be  taken  away  from  courts.” 


78 


The  traffic  in  girls. 


And,  yet,  that  same  poor  girl  after  being  ruined 
and  consigned  to  a house  of  infamy  by  this  lecherous 
wretch — this  poor  girl  who  by  the  cruel  dictum  of 
society,  is  ostracized  and  not  allowed  to  earn  a cent 
honorably — if  to  keep  from  starvation  she  solicits  this 
same  man  who  ruined  her,  she  ma}^  be  chased  and 
beaten  by  a policeman,  or  arrested  at  the  instance  of 
the  man  who  ruined  her  and  sent  to  prison  for  man}'- 
days.  Mr.  Crittenton  relates  that  in  his  evangelistic 
work  in  the  slums,  he  has  often  witnessed  a big, 
burly  policeman  chase  a little  fourteen-year-old  girl 
down  the  street  deahng  awful  blows  at  every  step,  on 
the  delicate  child  whose  cries  of  terror  and  agony  rent 
the  heart  of  every  passer-by.  On  inquiry  it  is  often 
found  in  such  cases  that  the  poor  girl  has  refused  her 
person  to  this  oflBcer  of  the  law  (?)  without  her  usual 
compensation,  and  he  under  the  guise  of  the  law  is 
wreaking  his  vengeance  upon  her.  And,  yet ! that 
child  is  “ some  father’s  little  girl.” 

It  is  also  noticeable,  that  in  the  raids  on  houses  of 
ill-fame,  the  keeper  and  inmates  are  the  ones  arrested 
and  fined  and  imprisoned.  What  about  the  guilty 
gentlemen  (? ) patrons  ? Is  it  not  as  wicked  for  a man 
to  commit  adultery  as  a women  ? Why,  then,  does 
the  punishment  fall  so  heavily  upon  the  woman  and 
so  lightly  upon  the  man  ? Perhaps  if  women  had 
something  to  do  with  makhig  the  laws  justice  would  be 
done  womanhood. 

The  nefarious  scheme  of  licensing  prostitution  and 
establishing  the  horrible  Contagious  Disease  Acts, 
which  have  disgraced  Europe,  shows  the  same  leni- 
ency to  men.  The  women,  forsooth  ! must  be  exam- 


FI.ORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  79 

ined  medically  and  the  announcement  officially  made 
that  they  are  free  from  the  horrible  diseases  that  ever 
come  as  a just  penalty  for  the  sin  of  unchastity,  so  that 
the  health  of  men  will  not  be  endangered  when  they 
commit  sin.  The  woman’ s health  or  well-being  is  of  no 
value  save  as  she  ministers  to  the  most  depraved  nature 
of  man.  Are  the  male  prostitutes  examined  that  they 
may  not  inflict  these  horrible  diseases  on  women  ? 
Oh  no  ! The  life  and  health  of  women  are  of  no  ac- 
count. If  a thousand  of  our  precious  girls  are  torn 
from  our  arms  for  a few  short  years  to  fill  up  the 
ranks  of — we  can’t  say  that  awful  word — and  then, 
being  horribly  diseased  by  vile  men,  they  fill  name- 
less graves  or  find  a suicide’s  hereafter  by  the  pistol- 
shot  or  the  river,  what  matter  ? Tittle  care  the 
lawmakers.  Get  a fresh  lot,  of  girls  for  these  vile 
men  to  disease  and  murder,  and  let  the  carnival  of 
lust  go  on,  for  say  these  learned  doctors  of  the  law, 
and  oftentimes,  alas  ! doctors  of  medicine,  “prostitu- 
tion is  a necessary  evil.’’  “If  it  were  not  for  this 
host  of  ‘ soiled  doves  ’ no  woman  would  dare  walk  the 
streets  for  fear  of  personal  violence.”  What  a high 
estimate  of  their  own  sex  such  men  have  ! 

In  the  first  place,  prostitution  is  not  a necessary 
evil  (for  medical  proof  see  Appendix),  for  God  never 
gave  man  a commandment  he  could  not  obey  ; and 
the  Seventh  Commandment,  ‘ ‘ Thou  shalt  not  com- 
mit adultery,”  is  binding  alike  on  men  and  women. 
God  does  not,  as  does  society,  put  in  a clause  exoner- 
ating men  and  heaping  damnation  on  women. 

This  divine  law  is  borne  out  by  physical  law. 
Marriage  is  not  only  the  divinely- appointed  relation 


8o 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


of  the  sexes,  but  all  medical  science  corroborates  with 
unerring  certainty  the  physiological  truth,  the  one 
man  and  the  one  woman  mated  for  life.  It  is  stated 
by  the  highest  medical  authority,  that  a case  of  the 
horrible,  nameless  diseases  that  inevitably  follow  pro- 
miscuous hidulgence,  has  never  been  developed  in  mar- 
riage where  fidelity  has  been  observed.  There  is  no 
more  striking  proof  that  licentiousness  is  the  gravest 
of  physical  sins  than  the  physical  penalty  which  at- 
taches to  it.  A disease  so  horrible  that  a famous 
French  physician  said,  “I  would  not  have  even  the 
smallest  trace  of  it  on  my  body  for  all  Paris.” 

Dr.  Napheys  of  Philadelphia,  in  speaking  of  the 
libertine,  says  : ‘‘  We  know  him  well  in  our  capacity 
as  physician.  He  comes  to  us  constantly  the  prey  to 
loathsome  diseases,  the  results  of  his  vicious  life ; 
which  diseases  he  will  communicate  to  his  wife,  for 
they  are  contagious,  and  to  his  children,  for  they  are 
hereditary,  and  which  no  reform  can  purge  from  his 
system,  for  they  are  ineradicable.  Is  this  the  man  a 
pure  woman  would  take  to  her  arms?  Here  repent- 
ance avails  nothing.  We  have  witnessed  the  agon}'^ 
unspeakable  which  overwhelmed  a father  when  he 
saw  his  children  suffering  under  horrible  and  disgust- 
ing diseases,  the  penalty  of  his  early  sins.” 

Nothing  is  physiologically  right  that  brings  ph3^s- 
iological  punishment,  and  these  horrible  diseases  for- 
ever give  the  lie  to  the  statement  that  ‘‘prostitution 
is  a necessarj^  evil”  and  corroborate  by  science  the 
moral  thundering  from  Mount  Sinai,  God’s  law,  which 
is  physiological  truth,  ‘ ‘ Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery.” 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


8i 


But  if  this  proposition  is  true,  that  millions  of 
girls,  many  of  them  the  merest  children,  must  be 
drugged,  lured  and  seduced,  and  trapped  and  bought 
and  sold  in  brothels,  the  slaves  of  drunken,  brutal 
men,  whose  foul  epithets  and  indecent  oaths  and  most 
horrible  and  disgusting  cruelties,— so  foul  that  a de- 
cent pen  would  recoil  from  writing  them,  and  white 
paper  would  turn  black  in  horror  at  their  recital, — 
atrocities  before  which  their  blows  and  cuts  and 
bruises  pale  into  utter  insignificance  ; if  our  girls 
must  be  given  up  to  such  a fate,  because  o^cr  own  sons 
must  lead  a life  of  lechery  ; if  some  of  our  girls  must 
be  doomed  to  the  demi-monde  (well  named  “ the  under- 
world” of  woe),  because  the  men  of  this  Christian 
land,  raised  by  civilized  fathers  and  mothers,  would 
otherwise  commit  the  crime  of  rape,  then  let  us 
honor  these  victims  as  the  noblest  martyrs  that  ever 
saved  others  from  the  most  ghastly  fate  to  which  any 
woman  could  be  consigned.  Bet  us  speak  in  tender- 
est  reverence  of  this  ‘ ‘ vicarious  ’ ’ sacrifice  by  these 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  our  “ little  sisters”  ” in 
that  dread  abyss,  the  very  name  of  which  dies  shame- 
stricken  on  our  lips,  with  all  the  divine  functions  of 
their  womanhood  trampled  out  of  them^  knowing  the 
corruption  of  the  grave  whilst  yet  warm  and  living ; 
doomed  to  live  a life  without  hope,  outcasts  from  God 
and  man,  “that  we  may  have  our  honor  unstained 
and  live  happy,  protected  lives.  Either  immortalize 
by  verse  and  prose,  in  statue  of  marble  and  bronze 
these  martyrs  to  the  lust  of  English  and  American 
manhood,  that  English  and  American  womanhood 
may  not  all  be  trampled  in  the  mire  and  filth,  or  for- 


82 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


ever  strike  from  the  English  language  that  most  cun- 
ning, appalling  and  damnable  lie  ever  invented  by- 
Satan,  that  “ prostitution  is  a necessary  evil.” 

Mothers  1 is  it  necessary  your  sweet,  pure  boy 
must  in  a few  short  years,  revel  in  all  the  debauchery 
of  the  brothel  ? Is  it  necessary  that  your  sweet,  lovely 
daughter,  for  whose  purity  you  would  give  your  life, 
must  in  a few  short  years  be  the  victim  in  the  most 
disgusting  orgies,  because  your  neighbor’s  son  has  not 
been  trained  to  a chaste  life?  No  ! no  ! in  all  God’s 
universe  there  is  no  ” necessary  evil,”  and  when  we 
train  our  boys,  as  Ellice  Hopkins,  that  grand  worker 
for  social  purity,  so  eloquently  says,  ‘‘  to  feel  that  the 
way  to  the  house  of  shame  is  paved  by  the  hearts  of 
women  they  love  and  that  in  accepting  the  degradation 
of  the  poorest  girl,  they  trample  on  their  own  mother’s 
womanhood  ; when  no  mother  worthy  of  the  name, 
for  the  sake  of  wealth  or  position  will  give  her  pure 
spotless  girl  to  a man  on  the  very  common  condition, 
as  things  go,  that  some  ten  or  twenty  girls — some 
poor  mothers’  daughters,  alas  ! — have  been  degraded, 
defiled,  trampled  into  the  mire  and  then  flung  aside 
into  the  gutter,  that  she  the  twenty-first  ma}"  be  held 
in  apparent  honor  as  a wife  ; when  women  themselves 
will  not  be  content  to  give  themselves  to  a man  with- 
out knowing  anything  of  his  past  life  ; when  the}’-  will 
not  receive  on  equal  terms  into  their  own  parlors  the 
man  who  has  done  his  best,  or  rather  his  worst,  to 
make  their  own  womanhood  a vile  and  desecrated 
thing  ; when  once  women  realize  the  dignity  of  their 
own  womanhood  and  refuse  to  have  it  fashioned  like 
the  Egyptian  Sphinx  half  pure  woman  and  half  un- 


LADY  HENRY  SO^MERSET. 


FLORENCE  CRIETENTON  MISSIONS.  83 

clean  beast  of  prey  ; when  once  the  degradation  of 
women  and  girl  children  take  hold  of  us  women  with 
a passion  of  love  and  pity ; when  once  the  words  of 
the  Christ  reverberate  in  our  hearts  and  lives  : ‘ Inas- 
much as  ye  have  ministered  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these  my  sisters,  ye  have  ministered  unto  me,’ then, 
and  then  only,  will  men,  rather  than  stand  dishonored 
before  the  woman  they  love,  lay  hold  of  a higher 
power  to  overcome  and  keep  themselves  faithful  to 
their  future  wife,  before  marriage  as  well  as  after. 
Then,  and  then  only,  will  this  miserable  talk  of  the 
necessity  of  an  outcast  class  of  women  wither  upon 
our  lips.” 

There  is  another  phase  rarely  thought  about,  when 
we  speak  of  this  ‘‘necessary  evil.”  The  sexes  are 
about  equal  in  numbers.  These  thousands,  aye,  mill- 
ions of  dear  girls  desecrated  and  dishonored,  are  taken, 
from  honorable  wifehood,  and  so  thousands  of  men 
are  robbed  of  all  the  delights  of  home  because  they 
have  transformed  the  loveliest  girls  who  might  have 
made  the  tenderest  wives,  into  that  pitied  thing 
whose  name  our  shuddering  lips  refuse  to  utter. 

God  often  punishes  us  in  most  unexpected  ways 
for  our  sins,  and  young  man,  you  who  think  it  a mat- 
ter of  little  moment  if  you  seduce  an  innocent  girl 
who  drifts  into  prostitution,  may  in  after  years  suffer 
the  keenest  agony  and  self-reproach,  when  you  realize 
that  a loveless,  childless,  lonely  manhood  and  old  age 
is  the  harvest  from  your  sowing  of  wild  oats.  Still 
heavier  must  be  the  punishment  if  you  have  a spark 
of  manhood  left,  that  somewhere  in  the  pitiless  world — 
may  be  in  the  penitentiary,  the  reform  school,  or 


84 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


among  the  vicious  classes  outside  of  jail — is  your 
own  child,  in  whose  veins  runs  your  blood,  an  out- 
cast, a bastard,  whose  own  father  has  inflicted  on  him 
the  dreadful  heritage  of  illegitimacy.  The  worst 
enemy,  the  deepest-dyed  villain  could  not  have  in- 
flicted upon  that  innocent  child  a more  damnable  out- 
rage, than  that  fastened  upon  him  by  you  his  own 
father, — his  natural  protector,  and  the  one  bound  by 
all  the  ties  of  blood,  to  cherish  and  love.  That  child 
might  have  been  your  pride,  your  joy,  and  the  strong 
staff  of  your  declining  years,  but  now  the  onl}^ 
thought  of  him  is  one  of  bitterest  remorse.  And 
when  to  the  thought  of  the  injury  done  to  the  child, 
is  added  the  awful  thought  that  you  consigned  to  a 
life  of  shame,  to  a hell  upon  earth,  the  mother  of 
your  child,  punishment  seems  piled  upon  punishment 
and  you  would  end  it  all  by  suicide,  save  that  in  your 
mother’s  Bible  you  once  read  that  “the  abominable, 
and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and 
idolaters  and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the 
lake  which  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone  : which 
is  the  second  death.” 

How  those  words  of  Holy  Writ  applied  by  God’s 
Spirit,  burn  in  upon  your  conscience,  until  you  know 
your  hell  has  already  begun. 

“ The  abominable.  ” What  is  more  abominable  than 
the  man  who  seduces  an  innocent,  trusting  girl,  who 
through  her  love  for  you  suffers  such  agony  as  men 
never  know,  and  then  to  cast  her  off  to  endure  the 
horrors  of  a living  death,  and  consigning  her  child 
and  yours  to  poverty  and  disgrace  ! 

“A?id  murderers."  Yes,  you  realize  that  3’ou  are  a 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  85 

murderer ; aye,  worse  than  a murderer,  for  had  you 
taken  the  girl’s  life  by  the  stiletto  blade,  her  pain 
would  have  been  ended  almost  instantaneously,  and 
her  spirit  might  have  been  reveling  all  these  years  in 
the  joys  of  Paradise.  But — and  how  the  memory  stings 
you — she  gave  herself  because  of  my  sworn  vows  of 
future  and  speedy  marriage,  and  I flung  her  into  the 
awful  wickedness  and  mire  of  prostitution,  whose  end 
I knew  would  be  the  terrible  suffering  of  a nameless 
disease  in  a charity  hospital,  and  a grave  in  the  pot- 
ter’s fleld,  and,  alas  ! all  my  remorse  cannot  take  her 
spirit  out  of  hell,  and  perhaps  my  most  dreadful  pun- 
ishment will  be  to  again  meet  her  in  “that  under- 
world ’ ’ of  woe  and  forever  bear  her  reproaches  that  I 
brought  her  to  that  dreadful  place.  Surely  God’s 
word  is  true,  ‘ ‘ Be  not  deceived,  God  is  not  mocked  ; 
whatsoever  a man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap.’’ 

'■''And  whoremongers.  ’ ’ How  memory  recalls  the 
years  of  debauchery  and  the  most  disgusting  orgies, 
of  which  Paul  said,  “ it  is  a shame  to  even  speak  of 
the  things  that  are  done  by  them  in  secret.’’  How 
the  noblest  inspiration,  the  grandest  thought,  and  the 
glorious  deeds  which  you  hoped  to  do  when  in  inno- 
cent youth  your  mother’s  kiss  rested  upon  your  pure 
lips,  have  been  trampled  in  the  filth  of  a life  rotten 
with  vice.  Instead  of  the  caress  of  a chaste  wife, 
you  remember  the  coarse  jest,  the  ribald  song,  the 
oaths  and  indecent  behavior  of  her  “whose  steps 
take  hold  on  hell,’’  fully  matched,  possibly  over- 
matched by  your  own  vile  conduct,  and  with  utter 
loathing  you  despise  yourself  and  her.  No  wonder 
your  life  has  been  a failure  in  all  that  is  good  and 


86 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


grand  and  noble,  for  “ the  stream  cannot  rise  higher 
than  the  fountain,”  and  when  the  springs  of  life  are 
poisoned  by  the  foulness  of  licentiousness,  how  can 
purity  of  thought  or  action  flow  out  into  the  life  ? 

“ A?id  sorcerers."  Yes,  that  means  me,  for  with  the 
sorcery  of  assumed  love  and  all  the  fascinating  arts 
of  the  most  designing  villain,  I played  upon  her 
heart  yearning  for  affection,  and  with  the  kisses  of  a 
Judas,  I betrayed  her  to  Gethsemane  agony. 

"And  idolaters."  As  you  sit  iu  the  judgment  of 
your  conscience  how  vividly  you  see  that  3’ou  have 
been  the  basest  of  idolaters,  for  you  have  worshiped 
yourself,  and  your  lust  must  be  satisfied  though 
many  an  innocent  girl  must  be  sacrificed,  and  little 
children  must  by  a life  of  shame  and  snffering  atone 
for  your  direful  sin.  You  have  indeed  found  that 
“ we  make  our  idols  and  w’e  find  them  cla}',”  for  God 
is  truly  a jealous  God  and  sweeps  all  idols  out  of  his 
rightful  place,  and  instead  of  longer  worshiping 
yourself,  there  is  no  object  you  so  thoroughly  despise 
as  yourself. 

" A?id  all  liars."  As  you  remember  the  lies  by 
which  you  accomplished  the  ruin  of  the  woman  whom 
you  swore  you  would  marry,— the  perjury  which  has 
sent  less  guilty  wretches  to  the  penitentiarj’, — the 
load  of  guilt  under  which  3"ou  stagger,  bears  3"Ou  to 
the  very  dust  of  humiliation,  and  in  an  agon3'  of 
remorse,  you  feel  that  3^ou  are  alread3^  in  the  ‘‘lake 
that  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone,”  and  though  the 
sentence  is  a just  one,  Cain-like  you  cr3^  out,  ‘‘  My 
punishment  is  greater  than  I can  bear.” 


ignorance  of  ati)iltircn  jFiU  tf)c 
1i3roti)clis/’ 


E cite  for  our  head-line  the  strong  sad 
words  of  William  T.  Stead.  Any  one 
who  has  come  in  contact  with  erring 
girls  and  knows  the  causes  of  their 
W downfall,  would  be  guilty  of  criminal  negli- 
/hj  gence  in  writing  on  the  subject,  not  to 
depict  the  awful  evil  of  girlish  ignorance  of 
physiological  laws,  which  renders  maidenhood  an 
easy  prey  to  designing  scoundrels. 

Mothers  and  fathers  will  have  much  to  answer  for 
at  the  bar  of  God,  because  they  allow  a pseudo-mod- 
esty to  prevent  them  from  explaining  to  their  children 
the  use  and  abuse  of  the  sexual  system,  as  they  teach 
them  the  use  and  abuse  of  the  stomach,  or  any  other 
organ  of  the  body.  Why  there  should  be  such  reserve 
in  speaking  of  the  reproductive  organs,  while  all  others 
are  freely  discussed,  is  a mystery,  and  can  only  be 
explained  on  the  theory  that  the  great  majority  of 
people  are  guilty  of  sexual  excess,  and  do  not  like  to 
discuss  their  own  sins. 

Whatever  the  cause,  the  fact  remains,  and  can  best 
be  exemplified  by  the  methods  of  information,  or 
rather  of  repressing  information,  in  the  average  child. 
For  instance,  the  little  girl  says  on  the  advent  of  her 

87 


88 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


baby  brother,  “Mamma,  where  did  little  brother 
come  from  ?’’ 

Many  a mother  tells  a downright  lie  to  her  child 
and  says,  “ Oh  ! the  doctor  found  him  out  under  the 
gooseberry  bush.”  Another  is  too  conscientious  and 
says,  “Hush — sh — sh  ! You  must  not  talk  of  such 
matters.  That  is  naughty.” 

In  the  first  case  the  child’s  observation  of  animals 
soon  teaches  her  that  mother  has  told  her  a lie.  Im- 
agine the  moral  effect  on  the  child’s  mind.  She 
knows  her  mother  would  not  tell  a lie  on  other  mat- 
ters, and  in  her  childish  logic  concludes  that  to  tell 
lies  on  sexual  matters  is  justifiable, — for  Mamma  does 
it, — and  what  Mamma  does  must  be  right.  By-and- 
by  Mamma  wakes  up  to  the  fact  that  her  little  girl,  to 
satisfy  a child’s  natural  curiosity,  has  asked  other  girls 
and  boys  where  their  little  brothers  and  sisters  came 
from,  which  information,  and  much  besides,  she  finds 
they  cheerfully  give,  and  teach  the  little  one  impurity 
of  thought  and  act ; and  when  mother  asks  her  about 
it,  the  child  follows  her  mother’s  example,  and  lies 
out  of  it.  In  fact,  she  thinks  she  has  done  something 
“smart.”  That  mother  has  lost  the  confidence  of  her 
child,  that  child’s  greatest  protection  against  evil, 
and  if  she  is  led  away  by  evil  companions,  the  mother 
must  certainly  blame  herself.  Just  such  cases  as  this 
result  in  grossest  sin,  as  in  the  San  Francisco  Florence 
Crittenton  Home,  a child  was  born  of  child-parents, 
the  ages  of  father  and  mother  aggregating  less  than 
twenty-nine  years. 

In  the  other  case,  the  mother  makes  her  little  girl 
feel  that  everything  connected  with  reproduction  is 


FLORENCE  CRITTKNTON  MISSIONS.  89 

“ nauglity,”  and  a feeling  of  contempt  and  horror  for 
the  organs  of  reproduction,  fills  the  child’s  mind. 
The  thought  is  cherished  and  grows  with  her  growth, 
and  by  the  peculiar  power  of  mind  over  body  and  the 
wonderful  strength  of  habitual  thought,  the  girl,  and 
thousands  like  her,  find  the  functions  of  wifehood  a 
horror,  which  even  strong  emotional  love  cannot  over- 
come. The  husband,  finding  no  reciprocity  at  home, 
seeks  ‘ ‘ the  house  of  her  whose  steps  take  hold  on 
hell,”  dishonors  himself  in  foulest  sin,  whose  penalty 
is  the  most  horrible  disease,  which  he  transmits  to 
his  wife  and  innocent  children,  and  after  awhile  a 
shameful  divorce  suit  follows,  and  another  family  is 
broken  up.  Whose  fault  is  it,  mother  ? 

How  much  better  if  the  mother  had  taken  the  lit- 
tle child  with  its  heart  overfiowing  with  love  for  the 
baby  brother — to  her  the  purest  and  dearest  thing  on 
earth, — and  said,  “Darling,  God  gave  little  brother 
to  Mamma.  For  a little  while  before  he  was  born, 
while  the  tiny  legs  and  arms  were  getting  strong 
enough  to  bear  the  cold,  God  let  him  stay  in  a little 
house  right  underneath  Mamma’s  heart,  where  there 
could  not  a breath  of  air  touch  him.  Mamma  was  so 
happy  and  wondered  and  wondered  how  her  baby 
would  look  ? . Whether  it  would  have  blue  eyes  or 
black,  and  golden  hair  or  brown  ? Every  stitch  in  the 
baby’s  clothing  was  a stitch  of  love,  and  Mamma  knew 
that  Papa  and  she  and  you  would  love  the  little  dar- 
ling so  much.  When  you  get  larger,  no  doubt,  God 
will  let  you  have  little  ones  of  your  own.  Mamma 
cannot  explain  everything  to  you  now,  but  darling, 
whenever  you  want  to  know  anything  about  our  pre- 


90 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


cious  baby,  be  sure  and  ask  Mamma.  Do  not  ever 
speak  about  such  sacred  things  to  any  one  except 
Papa  or  Mamma. 

Not  only  girls,  but  boys  as  well,  should  thus  be 
taken  into  the  confidence  of  their  parents,  for  any  one 
can  see  that  children  taught  thus  would  come  from 
Mamma’s  sick  chamber  with  such  a reverence  for 
motherhood  and  fatherhood,  and  such  a disgust  of 
learning  such  things  from  companions,  that  they 
would  always  be  shielded  from  evil. 

Then  as  fast  as  the  childish  mind  can  grasp  the 
knowledge — which  is  very  early — tell  them  the  ph}"si- 
ological  changes  which  will  come  later,  to  prepare 
them  for  the  most  sacred  duties  which  God  Almighty 
ever  confers  on  human  beings,  those  of  parentage,  in 
the  creation  of  immortal  souls.  All  this  can  be  done 
in  many  different  ways.  By  the  familiar  flower,  by 
every  species  of  animal  by  the  seeds  and  their  fruits. 

Gertrude  Hitz  well  says:  “Take  the  lilies  for 
instance.  The  stamen  and  pistils  are  well  and  clearly 
formed,  and  the  ovaries  or  seed-pods  are  exception- 
ally interesting  for  our  purpose.  Sensitive  children 
will  unconsciously  feel  the  simplicity,  beauty,  and 
purity  of  these  flowers.  Plants  which  have  distinct 
male  and  female  blossoms,  like  the  begonia,  are 
always  good.  A microscope,  or  merely  a magnifying 
glass,  will  prove  very  useful,  and,  as  a variety,  will 
add  to  the  wonder  and  appreciation  of  the  work. 
Then  there  are  the  maple  trees,  and  the  pretty  pussy- 
willows. Every  little  child  will  like  to  know  about 
the  ‘father  and  mother  ’ trees,  and  how  the  various 
seeds,  some  of  them  with  little  wings,  are  carried 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  9 1 

about  by  winds  and  birds,  or  in  other  ways,  to  fall  at 
last  into  the  good,  warm  earth  to  grow  again  and 
again  into  trees.  Eggs  of  birds  and  fishes  can  next 
be  used  for  instruction,  the  eggs  of  fishes  being  espe- 
cially interesting,  because  transparent.  The  lower 
forms  of  animal  life,  with  their  peculiar  and  various 
modes  of  reproduction  ; budding,  fission,  etc.,  can 
gradually  lead  to  higher  forms,  and  so  on  and  on, 
until  the  human  being  is  reached. 

“The  mother  should  always  be  the  best  teacher. 
Tell  the  child  how  carefully  and  wonderfully  he  grew 
in  the  consecrated  house  which  God  provided  for  him, 
so  safe  and  warm  in  your  own  clean  body  ; how  you 
fed  him  with  your  very  life-blood  ; how  tenderly  you 
watched  for  him  ; what  a joy  and  blessing  his  coming 
was  to  you.  I also  think  it  very  important  that  in 
telling  this  beautiful  and  most  sacred  story,  that  the 
love  and  work  of  fatherhood  should  not  be  overlooked. 
The  child  can  be  told  that  little  children  are  the  most 
beautiful  flowers  of  the  world,  and  that  as  God  gave 
the  golden  pollen  to  fall  upon  the  pistil,  so  God  gave 
his  father  the  precious  and  reverent  power  to  fertilize 
the  tiny  seed,  which  grew  to  be  that  greatest  wonder 
and  blessing — a little  child.  He  can  be  made  to  feel 
the  holy  awe  of  such  miraculous  and  creative  love, 
and  also  to  appreciate  how  this  human  father  has  been 
inspired  to  work  for  the  good  and  support,  and  wel- 
fare of  his  child.  Is  all  this  less  pure  than  the  story 
of  the  flower — less  beautiful  than  the  care  of  the  bird  ? 
Do  you  not  feel  in  your  highest,  truest  nature,  that 
such  teaching  is  right  and  best — that  it  will  ennoble 


92 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


and  purify  the  manly  or  womanly  character  of  your 
little  child  ? ” 

The  mother,  who  is  to  her  children  the  embodi- 
ment of  purity,  can  reveal  these  truths  with  such 
sweet  sacredness,  and  can  create  in  the  children’s 
minds,  such  reverence  that  an  obscene  story  will  seem 
like  profanation  and  an  impure  act  like  sacrilege, 
from  which  they  would  recoil  in  horror,  as  from  the 
sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost  to  which  it  is  akin,  for 
in  every  child’s  mind  and  on  its  bedroom  walls  should 
shine  the  golden  words  “ Know  ye  not  that  your  body 
is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ? ” 

Boys  and  girls  should  be  held  to  the  same  stand- 
ard of  purity.  But  how  differently  we  train  our  sons 
and  our  daughters.  Our  girls  are  taught  from  their 
earliest  infancy,  that  a slip  from  virtue  is  the  unpar- 
donable sin.  So  anxious  are  we  that  our  daughter 
may  be  always  pure,  that  we  instill  into  her  mind  con- 
stantly an  abhorrence  of  all  thoughts  along  sexual 
lines.  Instead  of  teaching  her  that  wifehood  and 
motherhood  are  the  most  holy  relations,  and  there- 
fore shonld  be  the  most  happ)’’  ones  on  earth,  and 
that  only  in  the  abuse  of  these  God-given  functions 
consists  the  sin,  we  instill  into  her  mind  disgust  and 
contempt,  which  results  in  thousands  of  unhappy 
marriages. 

And  yet,  strangely  enough,  we  teach  our  daughter, 
too,  that  the  one  end  and  aim  of  her  existence  is  “to 
get  married,”  and  at  the  same  time,  create  in  her  mind 
a repugnance  to  the  relations  of  husband  and  wife, 
that  makes  martyrs  of  thousands  of  our  noblest  wo- 
men. Any  one  who  knows  the  incomprehensible  and 


florejnce:  crittenton  missions.  93 

yet  the  infinite  power  of  mind  over  the  body — which 
is  so  strong  that  martyrs  by  the  thousand  have  con- 
sented to  give  their  bodies  to  be  burned,  and  sawn 
asunder,  and  torn  by  wild  beasts,  rather  than  renounce 
the  convictions  of  their  minds  — can  understand  how 
this  subtile  power  has  been  used  by  centuries  of  he- 
redity and  generations  of  environment  to  utterly  crush 
out  all  passion  in  woman,  and  alas  ! so  successful  has 
it  been,  that  many  a woman,  while  she  loves  her  hus- 
band devotedly,  yet  absolutely  loathes  his  approaches. 

All  nature  shows  the  fallacy  of  our  teaching  along 
this  line.  In  the  animal  world,  it  is  the  passion  of 
the  female  that  arouses  the  male,  and  only  when  the 
female  desires  motherhood,  does  the  male  brute  ap- 
proach her.  The  Duke  of  Argyle  says  ‘ ‘ that  in  no 
race  except  the  human  race  is  the  male  ever  unkind 
to  the  female.  Guided  by  nature’s  instinct,  even  the 
tiger  and  wolf  are  considerate  toward  their  weaker 
mates,  and  never  use  their  superior  force  to  intrude 
upon  or  in  any  wise  harm  them.  Nor  is  this  done  in 
the  whole  realm  of  nature  save  where  animals  have 
been  trained  by  man  to  some  faint  imitation  of  his 
own  inconsiderateness  and  cruelty.” 

It  is  indeed  a cruel  procedure,  the  way  we  teach 
our  girls  their  duty  to  become  wives,  and  yet  stamp 
out  all  passion  which  was  given  them  by  God  to 
prepare  them  for  the  onerous  duties  of  wifehood  and 
motherhood. 

Then,  still  more  do  we  unfit  them  for  marriage,  by 
the  heathenish  style  of  dress, — no,  not  heathenish, 
for  no  heathen  women  are  subjected  to  the  tortures 
of  civilized  dress.  Instead  of  allowing  our  girls,  as 


94 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


we  do  their  brothers,  perfect  freedom  for  growth  and 
development,  and  encouraging  them  to  romp  and 
play, that  their  muscles,  bones  and  ner\’’es  may  grow 
strong,  at  an  early  age,  we  train  them  to  the  “lady- 
like” occupations  of  sitting  in  the  house  and  em- 
broidering yards  and  yards  of  stuff  that  might  be 
bought  for  a few  cents,  or  crocheting  a yellow  dog 
with  green  eyes,  on  a background  of  red  sky,  bark- 
ing at  a pale  blue  moon,  and  the  thing  when  finished 
is  only  fit  for  the  garret.  Or  we  set  them  to  making 
a crazy  quilt — well  named — for  it  would  give  an 
ordinary  man  the  deliriujn  tremens  to  sleep  under  it. 

Out  upon  such  nonsense  ! Give  the  girls  a chance 
for  life  and  health.  Let  them  skate  and  play  ball, 
and  ride  the  bicycle  and  climb  trees  or  mountains ; in 
fact,  give  them  the  whole  range  of  outdoor  play  that 
their  more  fortunate  brothers  enjoy,  and  we  would 
have  fewer  women  suffer  all  their  lives  from  female 
weakness,  whose  agony  only  the  victims  know,  and 
fewer  deaths  in  childbirth  of  mothers  or  infants. 
Physical  culture  in  our  schools  is  good,  but  should 
not  take  the  place  of  the  romping  plays  of  girlhood 
which  should  be  continued  till  seventeen  or  eighteen 
years  of  age. 

But  as  if  to  make  these  pla3'^s  impossible,  we  band- 
age the  growing  waist  in  an  instrument  of  torture, 
commonly  called  the  corset,  which  I verilj’^  believe, 
next  to  liquor,  tobacco  and  opium,  has  done  more 
harm  to  the  human  race  bj"  killing  and  diseasing 
w'omen  and  children  than  any  other  one  thing  in  the 
world.  A well-knowm  writer  has  thus  spoken  against 
the  evil  of  stays:  “ They  impede  the  circulation  of 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  95 

the  blood  ; prevent  the  development  of  the  bust ; 
retard  the  functions  of  the  heart ; weaken  the 
stomach,  the  bowels  and  the  lungs  ; hinder  the  free 
action  of  the  liver,  and  compress  and  push  downward 
the  internal  organs,  resulting  in  female  complaints 
without  number.”  The  best  place  for  “stays”  of 
that  kind  is  for  them  to  “ stay  off”  the  bodies  of  our 
girls.  No  wonder  half  the  women  one  meets  are  suf- 
fering from  womb  disease.  Dr.  Thrall  says  that  if 
the  sexual  organs  are  displaced  by  so  much  as  a hair’s- 
breadth  the  relation  of  wifehood  often  becomes  one  of 
torture.  The  wife  shrinks  from  physical  pain  and 
the  husband  shrinks  from  inflicting  pain,  and  becomes 
unfaithful,  and  thus  corsets  break  up  another  home. 
As  to  the  evil  effects  on  child-life,  who  can  compute 
them  ! If  the  mother’s  heart  and  lungs  and  liver 
and  bowels  are  more  or  less  diseased,  or  undeveloped, 
which  is  disease,  how  can  the  child  have  his  first 
great  right — “to  be  well-born”?  No  wonder  that 
from  corseted  mothers  one-half  the  children  born,  die 
before  the  age  of  five  years,  and  many  that  don’t  die, 
wish  they  could, — for  their  life  is  one  long  misery 
from  ill-health.  Suicide  or  disease  is  just  as  criminal 
if  brought  about  by  the  corset  as  if  caused  by  liquor, 
tobacco  or  opium. 

Were  woman  physically  what  she  should  be,  the 
world  would  be  startled  by  the  giant  force  of  her  in- 
tellectual and  moral  power.  Weak  and  unsound  as 
she  is,  her  attainments  are  stupendous.  In  perfect 
health,  she  would  indeed  be  invincible  ; a marvel 
now,  she  would  then  be  a miracle. 

How  differently  we  train  our  boys.  Dr.  Kate  C.  Bush- 


96 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


nell,  a fine  physician,  and  the  third  Round-the-World 
Missionary  of  the  Woman’s  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  says  the  following  true  words  in  regard  to  the 
inheritance  of  sensuality  from  father  to  son  : “Certain 
qualities  are  always  transmitted  from  father  to  son,  or 
from  mother  to  daughter.  It  is  frequently  noted  that 
certain  peculiarities  or  deformities  wall  make  their 
appearance  in  the  males  only,  or  in  the  females  of  a 
family.  The  cock  must  inherit  his  spurs  and  comb 
from  male  ancestry  only.  Darwin  annunciates  this  as 
the  law  of  inheritance  as  limited  by  sex,  and  calls 
attention  to  the  fact  that  qualities  thus  limited  are  for 
the  most  part,  those  that  cluster  about  sex.  It  is  well 
worth  our  while  to  pause  and  consider  whether  the 
vast  difference  in  the  moral  impulse  of  sex  in  the  male 
and  female  is  not  due  to  the  operation  of  this  law  rather 
than  to  an  original  difference.  And  owing  to  the  fact 
that  those  impulses  which  hold  full  sway  at  the  time 
of  conception  will  most  profoundly  and  permanently 
affect  the  child  conceived,  therefore  the  impulse 
of  sensuality  which  does  service  as  the  real  motive 
of  conception  is  transmitted  with  ever  augmented 
strength  from  parent  to  child.  And  further,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  qualities  which  are  clustered  about 
the  fact  of  sex,  tend  to  pass  only  from  father  to  son  or 
from  mother  to  daughter,  we  find  the  father’s  weak 
yielding  to  the  indulgence  of  sense,  without  regard  to 
the  wishes  of  the  wife,  crystallized  in  his  son  into 
the  determined  overriding  of  the  rights  of  the  defense- 
less working  girl ; and  on  the  other  hand,  the  mother’s 
weak  yielding  of  her  high  ideal  of  puritj^  to  the  con- 
sideration of  holding  the  love  and  support  of  one  man. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  97 

expanded  into  the  poor  fallen  daughter’s  yielding  the 
same  ideal  of  purity  in  consideration  of  love  and  sup- 
port from  first  one  man  and  then  another.” 

If  this  is  true  that  boys  have  an  abnormal  inherited 
passion  to  contend  against,  it  is  a thousand  times  more 
important  that  the  parents  individually,  and  society 
collectively,  should  throw  about  them  even  more  safe- 
guards than  about  our  daughters,  whose  inherited 
passion  is  so  much  less.  Before  the  little  fellow  is  out 
of  his  cradle  the  wise  mother  will  teach  him  to  rever- 
ence every  part  of  his  body,  and  because  there  is 
special  weakness — inherited,  perhaps — and  special 
temptation  to  abuse  of  the  .sexual  organs,  she  will 
plainly  show  the  danger,  and  impress  on  the  baby 
mind  that  the  awful  suffering  of  disease  and  the  hor- 
rors of  insanity  may  be  the  result.  Make  him  feel 
that  it  is  a sin,  just  as  you  would  teach  your  baby 
that  it  is  a sin  to  steal,  which  you  would  certainly  do 
the  moment  you  saw  him  have  the  least  inclination  to 
take  what  belonged  to  another.  The  awful  sin  of  self- 
abuse— which  is  so  common  that  hundreds  of  our  finest 
physicians  have  written  most  solemn  words  of  warn- 
ing, in  hundreds  of  books  and  pamphlets,  trying  to 
awaken  parents  to  their  children’s  danger — is  often 
begun  in  the  cradle,  when  the  little  one  is  unconscious 
of  his  danger.  Sometimes  the  habit  is  fastened  on 
the  child  by  a wicked  or  irresponsible  nurse,  which 
proves  that  mothers  should  not  trust  their  children  to  a 
nurse.  L,et  mother  have  as  many  other  servants  as 
she  needs — for  mothers,  of  all  people  in  the  world, 
should  not  be  overworked — but  let  her  take  care  of 
her  baby  herself,  as  she  values  his  physical,  mental 


98 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


and  moral  well-being.  Sometimes  the  linen  being 
damp  chafes  and  irritates  the  sensitive  parts,  and  often 
bad  results  come  from  the  baby  not  wearing  a napkin 
or  drawers.  These  things  should  never  be  allowed, 
and  close  night-drawers  should  be  worn  till  the  age  of 
twelve  years. 

Instead  of  these  precautions  being  taken,  and  our 
children  being  saved  from  that  avv'ful  vice,  the  large 
number  of  children  who  bear  upon  their  faces  the 
imprint  of  the  penalty  of  their  sin,  and  the  large 
number  of  mental  wrecks  in  our  insane  as3dums — 
whose  reports  place  this  cause  second  only  to  liquor — 
show  that  parents  are  criminallj^  derelict  in  their  duty. 

Then  father  and  mother  treat  the  boy’s  questions 
on  all  these  lines  with  injunctions  to  silence,  or  in  a 
flippant  manner,  and  he  goes  to  his  street  companions 
and  learns  these  truths,  which  are  so  sacred  that  thej" 
should  onty  be  learned  from  a mother’s  lips,  from 
foul-mouthed  bo}\s  who  often  supplement  impurity 
of  thought  and  act  bj^’  giving  jmur  pure-hearted 
child  books  so  utterly  obscene  that  Mr.  Anthonj’- 
Comstock  well  saj’s,  ‘ ‘ I would  rather  have  my  little 
girl  struck  dead  than  that  she  should  have  her  child- 
ish imagination  so  defiled.”  The  awful  ruin  wrought 
by  these  vile  books  cannot  be  estimated,  but  the  fol- 
lowing report  for  1891,  b}"  Mr.  Comstock,  the  secre- 
tary of  the  New  York  Societj^  for  the  Suppression  of 
Vice,  shows  that  every  child  in  this  land  is  in  danger 
of  being  inoculated  'wnth  poison  more  deadty  than 
that  of  any  serpent : 

‘‘  During  these  seventeen  5'ears  we  have  traced 
out  and  suppressed  the  sale  of  two  hundred  and 


FIvORKNCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


99 


twenty-seven  different  books  printed  in  this  country. 
We  have  seized  and  destroyed  the  plates  for  printing 
and  illustrating  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  of  these 
volumes.  The  plates  for  the  other  two  were  de- 
stroyed more  than  ten  years  ago  by  the  owner  thereof, 
for  fear  we  would  seize  them  and  arrest  him.  This 
means  that  27,189  pounds  of  stereotype  plates  and 
960  steel,  copper-plates  and  wood-cut  engravings, 
used  in  manufacturing  vile  books,  have  been  seized 
and  destroyed;  also  48,190  pounds  of  books  and 
sheet  stock.” 

As  to  the  baleful  effect,  a clergyman  fifty  years 
old  said,  ‘‘  When  I was  at  school,  the  boys  circulated 
from  one  to  another  lewd  books  and  pictures  ; after 
all  these  years,  I cannot  free  my  mind  from  those  pol- 
luting recollections.”  Mr.  Comstock  then  says  ; 

‘‘It  is  not  alone  the  effect  on  the  mind;  these 
infamous  suggestions,  while  polluting  the  imagina- 
tion, also  corrupt  the  character,  and  bear  their  baleful 
fruit  in  the  life.  The  youth  becomes  a wreck  in  him- 
self. He  grows  up  to  be  a center  of  impurity,  to  ruin 
other  lives  as  his  own  has  been  blasted.  The  blood 
that  fills  his  veins  is  tainted  with  disease  which 
curses  his  children  and  his  children’s  children,  to  the 
third  and  fourth  generation.  A physician  told  me  : 
‘ I have  among  my  patients  persons,  themselves  of 
pure  life,  who  are  the  hideous  monuments  of  the  vice 
of  an  ancestor,  who  perhaps  late  in  life  reformed,  but 
whose  tardy  repentance  could  not  save  his  children 
from  their  baleful  inheritance.’  ” 

While  we  stifle  passion  in  our  girls,  the  entire 
environment  of  our  boys  stimulates  passion  in  them. 


lOO 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


The  immodest  action  and  rude  joke  which  would  be 
severely  reprimanded  in  the  little  girl  is  too  often  only 
smiled  at  or  winked  over  in  a boy.  Reverence  for  the 
person  is  not  instilled  in  the  boy’s  mind  as  it  is  in  the 
girl’s,  and  boys  think  nothing  of  disrobing  entirely 
and  going  in  swimming  together,  and  what  seems 
stranger  to  a woman,  men  will  do  the  same,  even 
before  very  small  boys. 

The  stimulating  foods,  highly  seasoned  ; the  pep- 
per, mustard  and  hot  sauces  used  upon  the  tables  of 
nearly  all  families,  excite  the  passions,  and  mother’s 
fine  cooking  often  helps  to  ruin  her  darling  boy. 
And,  alas  ! worst  of  all,  some  people  have  wine,  or 
beer  with  their  meals,  or  allow  their  children  to  drink 
alcoholic  liquor,  the  most  harmful  of  all  stimulants. 
Let  us  have  “plain  living  and  high  thinking,  instead 
of  high  living  and  plain  thinking.’’ 

Nor  do  even  Christian  parents  hold  their  sons  to 
the  same  standard  of  purity  that  the}'  require  of  their 
daughters,  although  the  Seventh  Commandment  says 
nothing  about  sex,  and  the  highest  ideal  of  purity 
ever  given  by  the  Saviour  was  of  the  male  sex,  when 
He  .said  ‘ ‘ Whosoever  looketh  on  a w'oman  to  lust 
after  her  hath  committed  adulteiy'  with  her  already 
in  his  heart. 

Should  our  boys  make  a lapse  from  virtue  even  so 
serious  as  the  seduction  of  a girl,  we  heartily  blame 
the  girl,  but  are  too  apt  to  say  of  the  young  man, 
“Oh!  well,  boys  will  be  boys,  and  they  must  sow 
their  wild  oats.’’  Dr.  Bushnell  truly  says,  “The 
sin  of  the  woman  is  loathsome  enough  to  be  painted 
in  blackest  dye,  but  man’s  base  impulses  toward  the 


FLOR'ENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


lOI 


woman  have  been  treated  too  often  as  a trivial  matter 
by  both  men  and  women.”  Men  who  are  known  to 
be  the  vilest  libertines  are  most  cordially  welcomed 
into  our  best  homes  and  our  purest  daughters  trusted 
to  their  caresses  as  betrothed  lovers,  while  the  girls 
whom  they  have  basely  betrayed,  we  would  scorn  to 
allow  to  earn  their  bread  in  our  kitchens.  When  even 
mothers  will  quote  the  shocking  proverb  (Alas ! 
what  a state  of  dissoluteness  society  must  have  fallen 
into  that  it  should  have  become  a proverb),  ‘‘A 
reformed  rake  makes  the  best  husband,”  she  ought 
to  be  asked  if  on  the  same  principle  she  would  say 
that  a reformed  prostitute  makes  the  best  wife. 

•But  the  most  fatal  neglect  towards  our  boys  is  in 
not  warning  them  of  the  dangers  of  alcoholic  drink, 
the  direct  inflamer  of  the  passions,  and  without  which 
the  social  evil  would  almost  disappear.  Physicians  and 
men  of  the  world  accustomed  to  drink,  and  alas  ! too, 
the  wives  of  drinking  men,  very  generally  agree  in 
stating  that  the  use  of  alcoholic  liquors  inflames  the 
passions  of  men,  rendering  their  animal  nature  al- 
most ungovernable  and  greedily  insatiable  in  its 
frenzy.  And  the  man  in  his  normal  condition,  strong 
in  his  will-power  and  self-control,  tender  in  aifection, 
refined  in  mind,  unstained  in  honor,  immaculate  in 
purity  of  action,  word  and  even  thought,  almost 
God-like,  roused  by  this  demon  of  alcohol,  becomes 
as  a very  devil  in  his  hot,  mad  insanity.  His  power 
of  self-control  is  perfect  weakness,  or  becomes  the 
strength  of  the  infuriated  madman.  His  tenderness 
and  love  are  turned  to  cruelty  and  hate.  His  refine- 
ment, his  honor,  his  purity  are  swallowed  in  the 


102 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


seething  whirlpool  of  inordinate  lust,  and  the  man 
becomes  brutal  in  his  hot  passion  ; aye,  worse  than 
brutal,  for  no  creature  save  man — man  endowed  with 
reason — is  guilty  of  such  ravages.  Oh,  manhood, 
manhood  ! so  near  the  divine,  and  yet  willing  to  defile 
yourselves  until  the  veriest  brute  would ' scorn  you  in 
your  vileness ! 

The  liquor  and  tobacco  from  which  the  United 
States  Government  annually  receives  a revenue  of  one 
hundred  million  dollars,  creates  the  demand  for  the 
one  hundred  thousand — (Oh,  we  cannot  utter  that  aw- 
ful word  ! )— which  are  trapped  and  lured  and  snared 
in  houses  of  infamy  in  this  our  nominally  Christian 
land.  Temperance  reformers  know  that  the  moment  al- 
coholic liquor  is  swept  into  the  sea,  that  moment  dawns 
a new  era,  in  which  nine-tenths  of  crime  and  vice 
and  poverty  and  insanity  shall  cease.  That  moment 
men  and  women  begin  to  regain  manhood  and  wo- 
manhood. The  first  step  in  destroying  prostitution 
is  to  destroy  its  cause  and  support — intoxicatmg 
drink.  How  many  men  out  of  our  thousands  of  liber- 
tines, think  you,  would  enter  a den  of  harlotr}",  know- 
ing its  fearful  risk,  unless  their  lower  nature  were 
inflamed  to  a greater  or  less  degree  by  liquor?  A 
very  small  proportion,  I believe. 

Many  an  innocent  young  man  goes  out  with  com- 
panions “to  see  the  town,’’  and  when  urged,  enters 
these  doors  of  death  “ just  for  a bottle  of  wine,  3'ou 
know,’’  feeling  sure  of  his  strength,  and  after  drinking 
the  wine  he  wakes  up  to  find  himself  a dishonored 
man.  When  men  recover  from  a season  of  reveling 
debaucherjL  no  words  can  portraj"  the  loathing  dis- 


FLORENCl?  CRIFTENTON  MISSIONS.  IO3 

gust,  both  for  themselves  and  their  before  fascinating 
companion,  that  sweeps  over  them.  Few  men  whose 
reason  was  not  for  the  time  being  blinded  by  drunken 
passion,  whose  higher  nature  was  not  sunk  in  the  de- 
lirium of  intoxication,  could  calmly  and  deliberately 
defile  themselves,  in  such  beastly  degradation,  such 
unnatural  vice,  such  foul  sin.  So  they  who  strike  a 
blow  at  intemperance  strike  a blow  at  prostitution. 

That  this  unbridled  licentiousness  is,  as  a learned 
physician  says,  “inoculating  with  its  deadly  virus 
the  blood  of  the  whole  human  race,”  no  observing 
reading  person  will  attempt  to  deny.  Innocent  and 
pure  wives  by  the  score  and  by  the  hundred,  are  by 
agony  unspeakable,  and  long  years  of  untold  suffer- 
ing expiating  the  sins  of  faithless  husbands.  Help- 
less children  by  the  thousands  are  to-day  bearing  in 
their  tender  little  bodies  the  curse  and  the  ten;ible 
punishment  of  the  sins  of  their  fathers.  Many  a 
grave  of  beautiful  womanhood  and  innocent  child- 
hood, in  the  cemeteries  of  our  land,  should  bear  on 
the  marble  pillar  the  inscription,  “ Iniquities  of  the 
father.”  Ah  ! it  is  pitiful,  pitiful ! that  tender  baby- 
hood must  stretch  their  little  limbs  in  agony,  while 
baby  eyes  and  baby  hearts  weep  tears  of  blood,  as 
if  thereby,  they  might  w'ash  away  the  black  sin  of 
their  fathers,  which  polluted  their  very  organization 
with  the  poison  which  is  the  penalty  for  a life  of  im- 
purity— the  poison  which  once  in  the  system  is  inerad- 
icable. Noble  youth  and  beautiful  maidenhood  bear 
in  their  blood  the  taint  which  they  in  turn  will 
transmit  to  the  little  beings  dearer  to  them  than  their 
own  lives  ! Oh  ! fathers,  do  you  not  know  that  God 


104  the  traffic  in  girls. 

is  a jealous  God,  “visiting  the  iniquities  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  children  unto  the  third  and  fourth 
generations  ’ ’ ? 

The  only  remedy  by  which  this  widespread  evil 
can  be  cured  is  by  complete  knowledge  of  the  terrible 
results  of  these  sins.  Not  simply^  the  knowledge  of 
the  moral  wrong,  of  which  the  voice  of  conscience  so 
faithfully  warns.  Few  men  are  guilty  of  either 
drunkenness  or  unchastity  whose  moral  nature,  even 
though  it  be  weak,  does  not  revolt.  But  we  should 
teach  the  knowledge  of  physiology  to  every  child 
fourteen  years  of  age  in  our  land,  showing  them 
clearly  that  drink  and  impurity  bring  with  them, 
inevitable,  swift  and  terrible  puni,shment.  Parents, 
physicians,  teachers,  reformers,  newspaper  writers 
and  especially  ministers,  who  claim  to  be  the  great- 
est reformers  of  the  day^  should  not  be  silent  on 
these  all-important  subjects.  The  laws  of  nature  are 
God’s  laws  and  the. minister  who  forgets  to  preach  the 
gospel  of  the  body  cannot  be  held  guiltless  before 
God. 

Moses,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  all  stood  up  in 
the  name  and  by  the  power  of  Almighty^  God  and 
taught  the  people  that  as  surely  as  the  guilt  of 
drunkenness  and  licentiousness  polluted  them,  just  so 
surely  would  the  thunderbolts  of  Jehovah  strike 
them  to  the  very  dust.  Jesus  Christ  from  his  exalted 
standard  of  purity,  not  only  of  w’ord  and  action,  but 
even  of  thought,  said  to  the  assembled  multitude 
standing  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives  in  that  the  grand- 
est sermon  ever  uttered,  “ Whosoever  looketh  upon  a 
woman  to  lust  after  her  hath  committed  adultery  with 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  105 

her  already  in  his  heart.”  Ah  ! the  brave  pure  words 
ring  with  added  meaning  and  gathered  force  through 
all  the  long  centuries,  and  in  this  day,  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  since  their  utterance,  they  should  be 
preached  in  every  pulpit  in  our  land,  till  our  hearts 
are  as  pure  as  His  who  spoke  them.  Such  were  the 
open  public  teachings  of  Jesus,  the  greatest  preacher 
and  reformer  that  ever  blessed  the  world.  Shall  His 
servants  to-day  be  silent? 

Sixty  years  later,  Paul,  that  brave,  battle-scarred 
hero,  who,  facing  imprisonments,  scourging  and  even 
death  as  the  result,  never  faltered  in  his  bold,  sweep- 
ing, scathing  denunciations  against  sins  of  the  body. 
How  many  ministers  are  there  in  free  America,  where 
civil  law  protects  free  speech,  who  dare  to  follow  his 
example,  and  preach  from  the  latter  part  of  the  first 
chapter  of  Romans  ? 

These  things  ought  not  to  be  ignored.  While 
false  modesty  and  ignorance  close  the  mouths  of  our 
clergy  and  reformers,  our  youth  by  the  thousand  are 
drifting  into  this  fatal  vortex  of  dissipation.  If  chil- 
dren were  taught  the  laws,  the  mechanism  of  their 
own  bodies,  — God’s  grandest  monument  of  skill  and 
love,  — how  obedience  to  these  laws  bring  the  very 
highest  earthly  happiness,  while  their  transgression 
sinks  the  victim  to  the  depths  of  human  suffering, 
thousands  might  be  saved  shipwreck  on  the  shoals  of 
ignorance,  folly  and  passion.  The  white-heat  agony 
which  surely  and  swiftly  follows  the  profligate,  is  be- 
yond the  power  of  language  to  express,  and  yet  out 
of  the  one  hundred  sermons  preached  annually  from 
each  of  our  thousands  of  ministers,  how  many  even 


io6 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


touch  upon  the  sin,  the  danger  or  the  penalty  ? Were 
a thorough  knowledge  of  these  laws  taught  by  the 
ministers  to  the  youth  of  his  flock,  w'ere  the}'  but 
warned  in  time,  ere  the  temptation  of  inflamed  pas- 
sion came  upon  them,  they  would  shun  contamination 
as  the  poison  of  the  serpent.  Temptation  could  not 
overcome  them  because  their  manhood  would  be  for- 
tifled  impregnably  by  knowdedge.  Every  church 
should  have  a White  Cross  League,  that  noble  or- 
ganization led  in  America  by  Dr.  B.  F.  De  Costa, 
pledging  young  men  to  chastity.  This  is  the  only 
solution  of  the  whole  problem  of  social  sin.  Rear  our 
boys  as  our  girls,  to  have  such  a horror  of  impurity, 
that  they  would  commit  suicide  before  thej'  would 
ruin  a girl’s  life.  This  can  be  done  if  we  begin  with 
our  baby  boys,  because  of  that  wonderful  influence 
of  mind  over  bod}' ; and  more,  teach  them  the  power 
of  God  to  help,  so  that  in  the  hour  of  temptation  they 
can  proudly  say  with  Paul,  “I  keep  under  my  body 
and  bring  it  into  subjection.”  “ I can  do  all  things” 
— even  control  passion  — ■ ‘‘  through  Christ  which 
strengtheneth  me.” 

There  comes  a time  when  even  the  knowdedge  or 
the  warning  is  of  little  avail.  It  seems  the  plunge 
into  dissipation  once  made,  the  rescue  is  almost  im- 
possible. Christian  ministers  and  parents  must  save 
the  young  from  dissipation,  from  the  very  first  step, 
if  they  wish  them  to  become  men  and  w'omen  in 
Christ,  for  the  man  or  girl  w'hose  entire  moral  nature 
is  blinded  by  drunkenness  and  unholy  passion  can  see 
no  beauty  in  Jesus  until  these  scales  fall  from  their 
eyes.  And  experience  in  all  the  past  confirms  the 


FLORENCE  CRITFENTON  MISSIONS.  107 

sad  fact  that  reform  is  possible  but  not  probable. 
Therefore  we  should  prepare  the  young  for  the  pecu- 
liar temptations  which  come  to  them  at  the  dawning 
of  manhood  and  womanhood,  and  the  pulpit  should 
preach  God’s  natural  physiological  laws  as  well  as 
His  theological  laws.  “ Know  3'e  not  that  ye  are  the 
temple  of  God,  and  that  the  spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in 
you?  If  any  man  defile  the  temple  of  God,  him 
shall  God  destroy  ; lor  the  temple  of  God  is  holy, 
which  temple  ye  are.” 


dFlornire  orrittemon  iEissions. 


Founded  by  “ The  Brother  of  Girls,"  Mr.  Charles  N. 

Crittenton,  in  Memory  of  His  Baby-Girl, 
Florence. 

HE  story  of  the  founding  of  the  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Missions  is  one  that 
touches  the  innermost  recesses  of  the 
heart,  where  love,  human  and  divine, 
holds  most  regal  sway.  Mr.  Charles 
N.  Crittenton  was  and  is  one  of  the  mer- 
chant princes  of  New  York  City,  whose 
medicine  warehouse  at  115-117  Fulton  street, 
is  pronounced  by  the  New  York  Times  “ probabl}^  the 
largest  in  the  world.”  His  success  has  been  phe- 
nomenal and  is  due  under  the  blessing  of  God  to 
his  possessing  the  genius  of  hard  work,  a mind  thor- 
oughly concentrated  upon  his  business,  a genial, 
happy  disposition  that  inspired  his  business  asso- 
ciates to  do  their  very  best,  for  which  fidelity  he 
generously  rewarded  them  not  only  ‘‘in  the  coin  of 
the  realm,”  but  b}^  personal  lov^e  and  friendship,  so 
that  every  one  felt  that  he  was  a brother,  and  his 
interests  were  their  interests.  Even  in  business  he 


FLORENCE  CRITENTTON  MISSIONS.  IO9 

has  demonstrated  that  “the  greatest  thing  in  the 
world  is  love.’’  A loving,  economical,  industrious 
wife  proved  herself  indeed  a helpmeet,  and  was  the 
inspiration  of  her  husband’s  success.  Well,  indeed, 
might  he  work  “like  a Trojan,’’  when  the  loving 
kisses  of  his  wife  and  the  soft  caresses  of  baby  hands, 
every  evening  swept  away  the  weariness  of  the  day’s 
toil.  The  years  passed  by  and  the  shining  gold  re- 
warded the  earnest  work,  and  a palatial  home  and  all 
the  luxury  that  wealth  could  give  came  into  his  life. 
Three  lovely  children  brightened  that  home  and  filled 
its  halls  with  childish  laughter,  the  rarest  music  that 
ever  thrilled  any  human  heart.  The  sunshine  of 
their  presence  made  radiant  the  darkest  room,  and 
glorified  all  life  with  innocence  and  purity,  seeming 
almost  to  bring  again  Paradise  on  this  old  earth,  and 
proving  true  the  words  of  the  Saviour  “Suffer  little 
children  to  come  unto  me  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of 
such  is  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.’’  Little  Florence 
was  her  father’s  idol  and  before  her  shrine  lie  poured 
out  the  devotion  of  his  great  heart,  and  her  sweet 
smile  and  loving  caress  were  rewards  greater  than  a 
monarch’s  crown.  When  the  wee  white  hands 
clasped  his  throat  in  a tender  embrace  and  the  little 
lips  softly  whispered  her  own  coined  phrase,  “ Papa’s 
baby  loves  you,’’  the  very  angels  might  have  envied 
him  his  wondrous  joy.  Rightly-named  was  the  little 
girl,  Florence  1 for  a fairer  flower  never  budded  in 
terrestrial  gardens,  to  bloom  in  full  radiance  and 
beauty  in  celestial  fields.  Despite  the  tenderest  care, 
the  father  and  mother  realized  that  “ like  as  a flower 
fadeth,’’  so  their  little  Florence  was  to  fade  out  of  their 


no 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


earthly  lives,  and  with  breaking  hearts  and  tear- 
blinded  eyes,  they  watched  the  roses  of  health  fade 
from  the  cheeks  of  their  darling  and  the  paleness  of 
death  mock  them  by  its  weird  beauty.  As  though 
with  prophetic  vision  the  child-eyes  almost  saw  the 
glories  of  the  eternal  world,  and  wanted  to  impress 
them  as  her  dying  message  upon  her  father’s  heart, 
the  bird-like  voice  whispered — “Papa — sing — the — 
Sweet  By-and-by.’’  With  trembling  lips  and  chok- 
ing voice  and  a spirit  writhing  in  aw'ful  agony, 
he  sang  the  beautiful  words  which  seemed  to  him 
more  like  a funeral  march  than  a peean  of  jo3^  The 
tiny  hands  relaxed  their  clasp  and  laid  cold  as  ice  in 
the  father’s  palm,  the  beautiful  eyes  closed  on  earth 
to  open  in  heaven,  the  precious  lips  whose  kiss  had 
thrilled  him  a thousand  times  made  no  response  to 
his  passionate  caresses,  for  she  had  been  kissed  and 
clasped  by  the  Angel  of  Death.  Over  the  snowj'^ 
casket  and  upon  the  dimpled  waxen  hands  crossed 
upon  the  breast  in  the  unwaking  sleep,  the  tears  of 
the  father  and  mother  and  sister  fell  like  rain  in  April 
but  alas  ! their  flower  was  dead.  In  the  darkness  of 
that  dreary  March  day  it  took  faith  almost  super- 
human to  believe  and  wait  for  the  Ma3"-time  of  bloom 
in  the  “Sweet  By  and-b3^’’  As  the  clods  fell  upon 
the  coffin  in  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  shutting  his  darl- 
ing out  of  his  life  forever,  his  great  love  for  his  child 
seemed  to  overwhelm  him  as  a flood  of  molten  lava, 
and  he  felt  as  though  he  were  indeed  in  the  Garden 
of  Gethsemane,  and  like  his  Saviour,  he  cried,  “Let 
this  cup  pass.’’  Like  Jesus,  too,  he  was  to  find  his 
“strengthening  angel,’’ 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


Ill 


For  months  he  struggled  with  his  grief.  He  lost 
all  interest  in  everything.  Why  should  he  amass 
wealth  when  his  darling  could  not  share  it  ? His 
dearest  treasure  was  indeed  in  heaven,  and  God  was 
softly  saying,  “Where  your  treasure  is,  there  shall 
your  heart  be,  also.’’  His  beautiful  home  was  oh,  so 
desolate,  since  the  idol  of  his  temple  had  been  shat- 
tered. Then  he  remembered  some  way  a verse  that 
his  father  used  to  read  at  prayers,  “ For  we  know 
that  if  the  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dis- 
solved, we  have  a building  of  God,  a house  not  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.’’ 

What  were  jewels  and  precious  stones  to  him,  when 
even  from  the  grave  he  could  almost  hear  his  little 
one’s  voice  saying,  “Set  me  as  a seal  upon  thine 
heart,  as  a seal  upon  thine  arm  ; for  love  is  strong  as 
death  : many  waters  cannot  quench  love,  neither  can 
the  floods  drown  it.’’  And  because  of  his  overween- 
ing affection  for  her,  and  his  passionate  desire  to  be 
with  her,  the  angel  seemed  to  appear,  and  he  could  say, 
like  St.  John  on  the  isle  of  Patmos,  “And  he  carried 
me  away  in  the  spirit  to  a great  and  high  mountain, 
and  shewed  me  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem, 
descending  out  of  heaven  from  God,  having  the 
glory  of  God  : and  her  light  was  like  unto  a stone 
most  precious,  even  like  a jasper  stone,  clear  *as 
crystal,  ....  and  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the 
city  were  garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious 
stones.’’ 

What  were  the  delights  of  travel,  by  which  some 
think  to  make  the  stricken  heart  forget  its  grief.  When 
one  has  to  carry  that  aching  heart  with  him  the  grief 


ZI2 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


goes  too.  All  the  earth  seemed  so  dreary  to  him  since 
his  little  one  was  in  heaven,  and  like  the  plaintive 
wish  of  the  Hebrews  in  their  wanderings  it  might 
have  been  Vv^ritten  of  him  as  of  them,  “ But  now  they 
desire  a better  country,  that  is  a heavenly  ; where- 
fore, God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called  their  God  ; for 
he  hath  prepared  for  them  a city.” 

At  times  the  volcano  of  this  pent-up  anguish  burst 
forth  in  bitter  lamentations  and  questionings  of  God’s 
right  to  take  his  child.  ‘‘  Is  it  nothing  to  you,  all  3’e 
that  pass  by  ? behold  and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow 
like  unto  my  sorrow,  which  is  done  unto  me,  where- 
with the  Lord  hath  afflicted  me  in  the  day  of  his  fierce 
anger.”  ‘‘  I am  the  man  that  hath  seen  affliction  by 
the  rod  of  his  wrath.  He  hath  led  me,  and  brought 
me  into  darkness,  but  not  into  light.” 

Then  in  the  voice  of  his  mother  he  could  almost 
hear  the  old  sweet  words  which  have  pillowed  many 
a weary,  questioning  brain,  ” But  though  he  cause 
grief,  yet  will  he  have  compassion  according  to  the 
multitude  of  his  mercies.  For  he  doth  not  afflict 
willingl)^  nor  grieve  the  children  of  men.” 

Often  his  soul  cried  out  at  the  seeming  mj’ster}', 
why  should  my  child,  one  of  two,  be  taken  when  I 
can  give  her  every  comfort  and  the  very"  best  educa- 
tion to  fit  her  for  the  highest  life  of  usefulness,  when 
eight  and  ten  children  of  poor,  drunken  parents  who 
cannot  provide  for  them  are  spared  ? Then  came  that 
wondrous  saying  of  Christ  about  himself  and  the  fruit 
of  his  own  life,  ” Verily,  veril}',  I sa}"  unto  you.  Ex- 
cept a corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  il 


!r 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON. 
“A  little  child  shall  lead  them.” 


FI^ORKNCK  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  II3 

abideth  alone  : but  if  it  die,  it  bringetb  forth  much 
fruit.” 

‘ ‘ What  I do,  thou  knowest  not  now,  but  thou 
shalt  know  hereafter.  ’ ’ 

” A little  child  shall  lead  them.”  She  shall  not 
return  to  you,  but  you  shall  go  to  her. 

And  so  one  day  six  months  after  that  dreary  day  in 
Woodlawn  Cemetery,  when  the  cruel  earth  buried  his 
darling,  and  his  own  heart  too,  when  it  seemed  his 
pain  was  unbearable  and  he  could  endure  it  no  longer, 
God  led  him  into  an  upper  chamber.  How  many  ten- 
der experiences  have  come  to  human  hearts  within  an 
upper  chamber;  or  upon  the  house-top,  shut  away 
from  all  the  world,  and  in  communion  only  with  God. 
It  was  in  the  upper  chamber  that  the  lyord’s  supper 
was  instituted — ^just  before  the  awful  tragedy  of  Cal- 
vary,— this  supper  which  has  inspired  more  souls  to 
do  God’s  work’s  than  any  other  agency  the  world  has 
ever  seen.  And  upon  the  house-top  came  the  won- 
drous vision  to  Peter  showing  his  ministry  to  the  Gen- 
tiles. So  in  the  silence  of  an  upper  room  of  his  own 
home,  this  man  whom  God  was  raising  up  to  be  ‘‘the 
brother  of  girls  ”— fallen,  outcast  girls — of  whom  he 
was  to  preach  to  the  world  as  did  Peter,  ‘ ‘ God  hath 
showed  me  that  I should  not  call  any  common  or  un- 
clean,” wrestled  with  the  angel.  With  the  Psalmist 
he  cried  with  streaming  eyes,  ‘‘Turn  thee  unto  me 
and  have  mercy  upon  me  : for  I am  desolate  and 
afflicted.  The  troubles  of  my  heart  are  enlarged  : O 
bring  thou  me  out  of  my  distresses.  Took  upon  mine 
affliction  and  my  pain  : forgive  all  my  sins.  Remem- 
ber, O Tord,  thy  tender  mercies  and  thy  loving-kind- 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


II4 

nesses  : for  they  have  been  ever  of  old.”  Then  Jesus 
who  is  always  nearest  to  us  when  most  we  need  Him, 
whispered,  ‘ ‘ I will  not  leave  you  comfortless  : I will 
come  to  you.  Peace  I leave  with  you,  my  peace  I 
give  unto  you  ; not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I unto 
you.  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be 
afraid.” 

‘ ‘ Fear  not : for  T have  redeemed  thee.  I have  called 
thee  by  thy  name  : thou  are  mine.  When  thou  pass- 
eth  through  the  waters,  I will  be  with  thee  ; and 
through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee ; 
when  thou  walkest  through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not 
be  burned  ; neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee. 
For  I am  the  Lord  thy  God,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel, 
thy  Saviour  : . . . . Since  thou  wast  precious  in  my 
sight,  thou  hast  been  honorable,  and  I have  loved  thee  ; 
therefore  will  I give  men  for  thee,  and  people  for  thj^ 
life.  Fear  not,  for  I am  with  thee  : I will  bring  thy 
seed  from  the  east,  and  gather  thee  from  the  west : 
I will  say  to  the  north.  Give  up  ; and  to  the  south. 
Keep  not  back : bring  my  sons  from  far,  and  my 
daughters  from  the  ends  of  the  earth ; . . . . For 
I have  created  him  for  my  glory.” 

And  thus  wrestling  with  the  angel  like  Jacob  he 
was  blessed,  and  as  if  prophetic  of  his  great  evangelis- 
tic work,  that  angel  might  have  said  to  him  also, 

' ‘ Thy  name  shall  be  called  Israel,  for  as  a prince  hast 
thou  power  with  God  and  men,  and  hast  prevailed.” 
And  indeed  well  might  that  upper  chamber  in  his  own 
home  be  christened  by  the  sacred  name  ” Peniel,  for  I 
have  seen  God  face  to  face,  and  my  life  is  preser\’ed.” 

With  this  wondrous  peace  of  God  flooding  his  soul 


FI,ORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  II5 

and  the  blessed  glory  of  the  work  he  was  to  do  for 
Christ  overshadowing  him,  the  grave  of  little  Florence 
became  a sacred  trysting-place,  the  base  of  the  “ lad- 
der set  up  on  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to 
heaven  ; and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  on  it.”  Woodlawn  Cemetery  no  longer 
seemed  his  Garden  of  Gethsemane,  for  he  had  found 
his  ” strengthening  angel.”  The  inscription  on  the 
little  tomb,  ” Papa’s  Baby,”  which,  when  it  had  been 
cut  in  the  marble,  by  his  order,  seemed  like  the  writ- 
ing of  his  own  death-warrant,  now  seemed  trans- 
figured in  letters  of  living  light  for  ‘‘  papa’s  baby  ” had 
become  ■*  papa’s  angel.”  And  though  the  soughing 
wind  through  the  dead  branches  of  the  trees  was  as 
sad  and  dreary  as  ever,  now  it  seemed  to  him  a hymn  of 
triumphant  faith,  whose  refrain  was  the  tender  mes- 
sage of  Christ,  ‘ ‘ I am  the  resurrection,  and  the 
life  : he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead, 
yet  shall  he  live  : And  whosoever  liveth  and  believ- 
eth in  me  shall  never  die.” 

Then,  because  when  the  divine  love  permeates  our 
being,  it  inevitably  shows  itself  in  love  to  humanity, 
Mr.  Crittenton’s  heart  yearned  over  every  sin-sick 
soul,  and  the  passion  for  soul-saving  which  took 
Jesus  to  crucifixion  and  his  disciples  to  bloody 
martrydom,  came  upon  him  with  Pentecostal  power, 
and  every  nerve  and  fiber  of  his  being  responded  to 
the  call  of  Christ,  ‘‘Son,  Go  work  to-day,  in  my 
vineyard.”  And  the  part  of  the  vineyard  he  chose, 
was  not  alone  the  Harlem  Holy  Trinity  P.  E.  Church, 
New  York,  of  which  he  is  an  oflScer,  where  he  would 
have  mingled  with  people  elegant,  refined  and 


Il6  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

cultured,  in  whom  his  soul  delighted,  but  the  message 
came  to  him,  with  irresistible  force,  “ Go  out  quickly 
into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  and  bring  in 
hither  the  poor,  the  maimed,  and  the  halt,  and  the 
blind.” 

And  opening  the  dear  old  Book,  he  read  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  ‘‘  Is  not  this  the  fast  that  I have 
chosen  ? to  loose  the  bands  of  wickedness,  and  undo 
the  heavy  burdens,  and  to  let  the  oppressed  go  free, 
and  that  ye  break  every  yoke  ? Is  it  not  to  deal  thy 
bread  to  the  hungry,  and  that  thou  bring  the  poor 
that  are  cast  out  to  thy  house  ; when  thou  seest  the 
naked,  that  thou  cover  him  ; and  that  thou  hide  not 
thyself  from  thine  own  flesh  ? Then  shall  thy  light 
break  forth  as  the  morning,  and  thine  health  shall 
spring  forth  speedily  ; and  thy  righteousness  shall 
go  before  thee  ; the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  thy  rear- 
ward. Then  shalt  thou  call,  and  the  Lord  shall  answer; 
thou  shalt  cry,  and  he  shall  say.  Here  I am.  And  if 
thou  draw  out  thy  soul  to  the  hungr}-,  and  satisfy  the 
afflicted  soul ; then  shall  thy  light  rise  in  obscurity, 
and  thy  darkness  be  as  the  noonday  ; and  the  Lord 
shall  guide  thee  continually,  and  satisf}’-  thy  soul. 

. And  they  that  shall  be  of  thee  shall  build 
the  old  waste  places  : thou  shalt  raise  up  the  founda- 
tions of  many  generations  ; and  thou  shalt  be  called. 
The  repairer  of  the  breach,  The  restorer  of  paths  to 
dwell  in.” 

Could  there  in  all  literature  be  found  a more 
graphic  description  of  the  Florence  Crittenton  Mis- 
sions and  Mr.  Crittenton’ s evangelistic  work,  than 
this  wonderful  prophecy  of  Isaiah  ? 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  I17 

So  down  into  the  slums  of  New  York  City  he  went, 
at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Smith  N.  Allen,  and  I 
have  often  thought  how  far  a single  word  may  go. 
No  doubt  that  Christian  worker  had  many  a time  be- 
fore invited  a host  of  church  members  to  come  and  help 
in  the  Mission  work,  and  failing  to  interest  them  in  the 
work  among  the  fallen,  he  might  have  become  dis- 
couraged and  doubted  a benefit  from  inviting  Mr.  Crit- 
tenton.  But  we  are  glad — hundreds  who  have  never 
seen  him  or  ever  heard  of  him  before  — are  glad 
that  he  did  “ not  grow  weary  in  well  doing,”  for  how 
much  the  world  would  have  lost  if  Mr.  Crittenton  had 
not  become  interested  in  Mission  work ! What  a 
beautiful  and  inspiring  thought,  that  in  every  soul  re- 
deemed through  Mr.  Crittenton’ s ministrations  that 
man  will  have  an  interest.  After  all,  what  invest- 
ment brings  a larger  dividend  than  kind  and  earnest 
words  ? When  they  are  so  cheap  and  yet  so  powerful 
is  it  not  a wonder  we  are  so  stingy  with  them  ? ‘‘A 

word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of 
silver.” 

Night  after  night  found  him  in  the  slums  trying  to 
uplift  some  poor  fallen  brother  or  sister,  and  one  night 
he  besought  a poor  erring  girl  to  leave  her  life  of  sin 
and  shame,  saying  to  her  in  the  words  of  Christ, 
‘‘Neither  do  I condemn  thee.  Go  and  sin  no  more.” 

The  weeping  girl  said  ‘‘But  where  can  I go?  ” 
With  lightning  force  flashed  the  thought,  ‘‘  Where 
can  she  go  ? In  all  New  York  there  is  scarce  a door 
save  the  door  of  sin  open  to  her.”  And  then  and 
there  he  decided  as  a memorial  of  his  own  little  Flor- 
ence to  open  a home  for  other  father’s  little  girls,  a 


Il8  THK  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

thousand  times  more  lost  to  them  than  if  they  were 
lying  out  in  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  for  the  grave  casts 
no  shadow  of  disgrace. 

So  down  at  21-23  Bleeker  street,  in  the  midst  of 
houses  of  infamy  rises  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  — 
itself  once  a haunt  of  ill-fame  — transformed  from  a 
brothel  to  a Bethel.  A double  four-story  house, 
comfortably  furnished,  which  is  a veritable  home  to 
the  girls,  weary  and  heart-sick.  The  prodigal  daugh- 
ter afar  off  can  see  the  brightly  illuminated  sign, 
“ Florence  Crittenton  Mission,”  which  is  indeed  a 
sign-board  to  the  “ City  of  Refuge,”  for  these  hunted, 
despairing  girls  are  the  prey  of  lecherous  men,  that 
other  scoundrels  — called  men  — maj'  live  off  the 
earnings  of  their  shame,  and  who  would  rather  mur- 
der them  than  have  them  escape  their  clutches. 
Once  inside  this  haven  of  rest  the  word  ‘‘  Welcome  ” 
greets  the  wanderer,  who  perhaps  for  months  or  years 
has  not  heard  a loving  word,  but  only  the  indecent 
jest  or  the  foul  oath.  The  matron,  whom  all  the  girls 
tenderly  call  ‘‘Mother  Prindle,”  takes  this  mother’s 
girl  in  her  arms  and  says,  ‘‘We  are  so  glad  to  see 
you,  dear  ! ” Any  one  glad  to  see  Aer?  Never  since 
she  left  mother  has  any  one  been  glad  to  see  her 
except  with  a lustful  or  mercenarj’-  motive.  Almost 
bewildered  by  the  kindness,  and,  alas  ! having  been 
deceived  by  ‘‘wolves  in  sheep’s  clothing”  who  pre- 
tended to  love  her,  in  order  to  betray  her,  she  wonders 
if  it  is  some  new  trap  to  catch  her  again.  But  as  she 
realizes  that  a fast  life  has  done  its  fatal  work  with 
her,  and  disease  and  drink  have  taken  the  beaut}’- 
from  face  and  figure  and  left  her  a disgusting  mass  of 


THE  MOTHER  MISSION. 
Florence  Critteuton  Mission,  New  York. 


I^LORENCK  CRIlfTENTON  MISSIONS.  II9 

flesh  and  blood,  clothed  in  rags,  she  knows  she  is  not 
worth  trapping,  and  then  as  Mother  Prindle  takes  her 
into  the  bright  cheery  chapel  and  herself  sits  down 
beside  her  and  she  listens  to  the  voices  singing  the 
old  beautiful  hymn  her  mother  used  to  sing  ; 

“Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul 
Let  me  to  thy  bosom  fly,” 

she  knows  she  is  among  friends, — “for  they  never 
sing  songs  like  that  in  a brothel.’’  The  chapel  is  full 
of  men  and  women,  many  of  them  as  miserable  and 
degraded  as  herself,  but  here  on  the  front  seats  are  a 
group  of  girls  whose  faces  shine  with  joy.  Yes,  and 
some  of  them  she  remembers  to  have  seen  on  the 
street  leading  bad  lives.  What  does  it  all  mean  ? 
She  will  listen  and  see. 

Over  the  platform  hangs  the  picture  of  little  Flor- 
ence Crittenton,  pure,  innocent,  sweet,  and  as  she 
gazes  into  the  beautiful  eyes  of  the  little  girl,  she  re- 
members her  own  childhood,  and  can  almost  feel  her 
mother’s  kiss  upon  her  lips,  as  she  kneels  at  her  feet, 
and  with  her  hands  clasped  by  mother’s  hands,  rever- 
erently  says  : 

“ Now  I lay  me  down  to  sleep, 

I pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  keep.” 

Tears  quiver  in  her  eyes,  as  she  knows  she  has  broken 
that  loving  mother’s  heart,  and  is  bringing  “down 
her  gray  hairs  with  sorrovs^  to  the  grave.  ’ ’ Remorse 
tears  her  soul  with  anguish,  and  as  the  leader  of  the 
meeting  reads  the  story  of  the  “ Prodical  Son,”  she 
feels  that  her  degradation  has  been  deeper  than  his, 
for  she,  being  a woman,  has  had  to  submit  to  indigni- 


120 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


ties  of  which  he  knew  nothing.  She  had  indeed  been 
associating  with  swine.  Ah  ! we  must  apologize  to  the 
four-footed  swine  for  comparing  such  men  to  them, 
for  a decent  hog  would  not  so  terribly  mistreat  his 
mate,  nor  do  the  revolting  things  which  creatures 
called  men — men,  created  in  the  image  of  God  ! — 
will  do  and  even  boast  of  as  something  smart.  Poor 
child  ! she  has  indeed  found  the  husks,  and 
bowing  her  face  in  her  hands  she  sobs  as  though  her 
heart  would  break.  Like  a flash  Mother  Prindle’s 
arms  of  love  are  about  her,  and  in  a voice  of  tender- 
ness she  whispers,  “ The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that 
are  of  a broken  heart ; and  saveth  such  as  be  of  a 
contrite  spirit.”  The  leader  is  reading  the  piteous 
prayer  of  King  David  when  he  was  fllled  with  remorse 
for  the  same  sin  of  which  she  has  been  guilty  : 

Have  mercy  upon  me,  O God,  according  to  thy  loving-kind- 
ness ; according  unto  the  multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies  blot 
out  my  transgressions. 

Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  iniquity,  and  cleanse  me 
from  my  sin. 

For  I acknowledge  my  transgressions  : and  my  sin  is  ever 
before  me. 

Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I sinned,  and  done  this  evil 
in  thy  sight : that  thou  mightest  be  justified  when  thou  speak- 
est,  aud  be  clear  when  thou  judgest. 

Behold,  I was  shapen  in  iniquity  : and  in  sin  did  my  mother 
conceive  me. 

Behold,  thou  desirest  truth  in  the  inward  parts  : and  in  the 
hidden  part  thou  shalt  make  me  to  know  wisdom. 

Purge  me  with  hyssop,  and  I shall  be  clean  : wash  me,  and 
I shall  be  whiter  than  snow. 

Make  me  to  hear  joy  and  gladness  ; that  the  bones  which 
thou  hast  broken  may  rejoice. 


Florence;  crittenton  missions. 


I2I 


Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins,  and  blot  out  all  mine  iniquities. 

Create  in  me  a clean  heart,  O God  ; and  renew  a right 
spirit  within  me. 

Cast  me  not  away  from  thy  presence ; and  take  not  thy 
Holy  Spirit  from  me. 

Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation;  and  uphold  me 
with  thy  free  spirit. 

Then  will  I teach  transgressors  thy  ways  ; and  sinners  shall 
be  converted  unto  thee. 

Deliver  me  from  bloodguiltiness,  O God,  thou  God  of  my 
salvation  ; and  my  tongue  shall  sing  aloud  of  thy  righteous- 
ness. 

O Lord,  open  thou  my  lips  ; and  my  mouth  shall  shew  forth 
thy  praise. 

For  thou  desirest  not  sacrifice  ; else  would  I give  it ; thou 
delightest  not  in  burnt  offering. 

The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a broken  spirit ; a broken  and  a 
contrite  heart,  O God,  thou  wilt  not  despise. 

How  true  seems  every  word  ! How  God  honors 
his  own  word  in  bringing  back  these  wandering  ones, 
so  that  all  Christian  workers  again  and  again  say 
with  Paul,  “ For  the  word  of  God  is  quick,  and  pow- 
erful, and  sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  pierc- 
ing even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit, 
and  of  the  joints  and  marrow,  and  is  a discerner  of 
the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart.”  In  an  agony 
the  poor  girl  cries  out  in  the  words  of  the  Philippian 
jailer,  ‘‘What  shall  I do  to  be  saved?”  Mother 
Prindle’s  voice  whispers  the  answer  which  calmed  the 
jailer’s  fears  and  is  just  as  potent  now  as  then,  though 
for  more  than  eighteen  centuries,  it  has  been  com- 
forting human  hearts,  ‘‘Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.”  As  those  words 
sink  into  her  soul,  like  Bunyan’s  pilgrim,  she  feels  the 


122 


TH:e  'TRAFFIC  IN  CIRLS. 


awful  burden  of  sin  fall  from  her  shoulders,  and  there 
is  rejoicing  in  two  worlds  that  God  led  her  to  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Mission,  and  the  very  angels  seem  to 
echo  the  glad  refrain  of  the  song  which  swells  from 
hundreds  of  lips  : 

“ Hallelujah  ! ’tis  done, 

I believe  on  the  Son, 

I am  saved  by  the  blood  of  the  Crucified  One.” 

And  not  only  is  she  saved,  but  scores  upon  scores 
of  men  and  women  here  find  ‘ ‘ the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.”  As  they 
go  forth  renewed  and  consecrated  to  a life  for  Christ, 
relying  on  his  power  to  keep,  they  are  living  proofs  of 
the  declaration  of  the  angel,  “Thou  shalt  call  his 
name  Jesus  ; for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their 
sins.”  Not  from  the  penalty  of  sin,  but  from  sin 
itself.  The  meeting  is  changed  to  a testimony  meet- 
ing and  the  loving  heart  of  Jesus  must  be  thrilled 
with  joy  as  he  listens  to  these.  His  little  children, 
redeemed  from  sin,  of  whom  He  said,  “Ye  are  my 
witnesses,”  and  nowhere  in  all  the  world  could  his 
power  be  more  fully  shown.  The  physican  takes  the 
difficult  case  which  has  been  cured  by  the  magic  of 
his  skill,  as  the  criterion  of  wffiat  he  is  able  to  do. 
And  so  the  great  Physican,  b}^  the  living  testimony 
of  these  who  have  been  redeemed  from  drink  and 
lust  and  theft  and  lying  and  murder,  proclaims  again, 
“All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in 
earth.”  The  age  of  miracles  is  indeed  not  past.  In 
the  nineteenth,  as  well  as  in  the  first  centur5^  those 
possessed  of  devils — the  devils  of  drink,  impurity, 


FLOREJNCS;  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 23 

and  all  kinds  of  wickedness — are  brought  by  lov- 
ing hearts  to  Jesus,  who  as  of  old  says,  “If  thou 
canst  believe,  all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  be- 
lieveth.’’  Straightway  comes  the  answer,  “Lord,  I 
believe,  help  thou  my  unbelief.’’  And  though  under 
the  influence  of  these  devils,  they  indeed  seem  dead  to 
every  noble  impulse,  and  entreaties  and  sobs  of  friends 
have  proved  of  no  avail  to  waken  these  “who  are 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,’’  yet  divine  help  is  near, 
and  “Jesus  took  him  by  the  hand  and  lifted  him  up  ; 
and  he  arose.’’  And  as  testimony  after  testimony  is 
given  that  they  have  been  kept  year  after  year,  we 
know  that  it  is  the  “very  same  Jesus’’  who  said  to  the 
evil  spirit,  “ I charge  thee  come  out  of  him,  and  enter 
no  more  into  him.’’  More  than  one  skeptic  has  been 
converted  by  visiting  the  Mission  and  seeing  these 
wonderful  nineteenth  century  miracles,  and  with 
Thomas  has  cried,  “ My  Lord  and  my  God.’’ 

After  the  meeting  those  who  desire  to  be  prayed 
for  are  invited  to  the  inquiry  room  just  across  the  hall, 
and  here  loving  Christian  workers  point  the  penitent 
to  the  Christ  who. says,  “Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee  ; 
go  in  peace.’’  To  those  who  are  out  of  work  and  in 
sorest  poverty,  comes  the  passage,  “Seek  ye  first  the 
kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness  ; and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you.’’  Meal  and  lodging 
tickets  are  given,  and  work  is  found,  thus  proving 
that  Christian  friends  are  the  only  friends  worthy  of 
the  name. 

Then  the  poor  Magdalene  who  has  entered  the 
better  life,  is  taken  upstairs  into  the  dormitory,  a bath 
is  given  her,  the  old  tattered  clothing  is  burned,  and 


124 


THB  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


fresh  clean  clothes  provided,  and  in  a bed  whose  im- 
maculate cleanliness  makes  her  think  of  the  home  of 
her  childhood  and  its  comforts,  she  sinks  to  sleep, 
breathing  a prayer  for  her  deliverer,  Charles  N.  Crit- 
tenton, — “The  restorer  of  paths  to  dwell  in.’’  The 
next  morning  she  comes  down  to  breakfast,  and  in 
the  cozy  dining-room  she  finds  Mother  Prindle  and 
perhaps  twoscore  of  girls,  who  give  her  a hearty 
welcome,  and  as  she  sits  down  to  an  appetizing  meal, 
her  grateful  heart  echoes  the  blessing,  and  joins  in 
the  glad  song  : 

“ Oh  ! there’s  sunshine,  blessed  sunshine  ! 

While  the  peaceful,  happy  moments  roll. 

When  Jesus  shows  His  smiling  face, 

There  is  sunshine  in  my  soul,” 

After  breakfast  a prayer  service  is  held  in  the  library, 
a bright  little  sitting-room  for  the  use  of  the  girls,  and 
here  these  dear  ones  pour  forth  the  deepest  feelings  of 
their  hearts,  of  grief  or  joy,  and  in  these  family  pra}'- 
ers,  which  remind  the  girls  of  home,  many  a blessed 
conversion  is  made,  and  many  a gM  arises  from  her 
knees  and  “writes  a letter  to  mother,’’  who  has 
been  mourning  her  as  lost,  for  years.  Then  this 
new  member  of  “the  family,’’  wants  something 
to  do,  for  there  never  w’as  such  a thing  as  a lazy 
Christian,  and  down  into  the  laundry,  the  kitchen, 
or  the  sewing-room  she  goes  with  a lighter  heart 
than  she  has  known  for  man}"  a day.  In  this 
pleasant  home  she  stays  until  she  is  restored  to 
friends  or  a situation  is  found  for  her.  If  at  any 
time  she  finds  herself  friendless  or  without  work. 


W.  C.  T.  U.  TEMPLE. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 25 

she  knows  that  the  doors  of  the  Florence  Crittenton 
Mission  will  always  be  open  for  her. 

In  the  tabulated  reports  of  cold  facts  and  figures 
found  in  the  back  of  this  volume,  the  angels  know 
there  is  many  such  a life  history,  and  to  us  who  have 
heard  the  sobs  of  grief  of  many  of  these  girls  turned 
into  songs  of  gladness,  those  figures  glow  with  light 
divine,  and  from  every  angular  curve  seems  to  breathe 
the  benediction  of  the  Christ,  “ Inasmnch  as  ye  have 
ministered  unto  the  least  of  these,  ye  have  ministered 
unto  me.''' 

Could  there  be  a more  beautiful  monument  erected 
to  the  memory  of  his  beloved  child,  little  Florence, 
than  this  wonderful  Florence  Crittenton  Mission, 
which  has  already  multiplied  thirteen-fold,  and  it  is 
the  desire  of  Mr.  Crittenton’s  heart  that  one  may  be 
founded  in  every  large  city  in  America  and  Europe. 

No  mausoleum  however  costly  could  keep  in  re- 
membrance his  angel  baby  as  do  these  Missions. 
Few  visit  the  lonely  cemeteries  and  fewer  still  read 
the  inscriptions  on  the  marble  shaft,  but  thousands 
upon  thousands  are  brought  from  “ death  unto  life  ” 
through  Florence  Crittenton  Missions,  and  how  liter- 
ally is  fulfilled  the  scripture,  “A  little  child  shall  lead 
them,”  “ who  being  dead,  yet  speaketh.” 

It  is  indeed  gratifying  that  other  wealthy  people 
are  following  the  example  of  Mr.  Crittenton,  and 
Senator  and  Mrs.  Leland  Stanford  have  founded  that 
wonderful  EelandStandford,  Jr.,  University,  in  Califor- 
nia, in  memory  of  a beloved  son.  Mrs.  Stanford  also 
gives  largely  to  the  Stanford  Memorial  Kindergarten 
of  San  Francisco,  which,  under  the  able  superintend- 


126 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


ence  of  Mrs.  Sarah  B.  Cooper,  is  doing  a wondrous 
work  in  saving  girls  from  a life  of  shame  and  boys 
from  the  saloons  and  the  prisons. 

Mrs.  Senator  Hearst  sustains  several  Hearst 
Scholarships  in  the  California  University  for  worthy 
young  women  who  otherwise  could  not  receive  a self- 
supporting  education. 

The  Crockers,  too,  generously  endowed  the  Crocker 
Home  for  Aged  Women,  in  San  Francisco,  and  the  Art 
Memorial  Palace  by  the  Crow  family  and  the  Mar}’^ 
Institute,  by  the  family  of  Chancellor  Elliott,  of  the 
St.  Louis  University,  and  the  Steer  Memorial  Home 
for  erring  girls,  of  New  Orleans,  in  memory  of  dear 
ones  gone  before,  and  other  such  philanthropies  make 
glad  all  humanity.  For  those,  too,  who  have  not  the 
means  for  so  large  memorials,  what  more  beautiful 
way  to  keep  in  loving  and  living  remembrance,  than 
to  have  inscribed  in  letters  of  gold  the  name  of  the 
sainted  one  upon  the  marble  tablets  in  Willard  Hall 
in  the  stately  W.  C.  T.  U.  Temple,  founded  bj'  Mrs. 
Matilda  B.  Carse,  who  has  lovingly  placed  above 
them.  In  Memoriam,  “ Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die 
in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  : Yea  saith  the  spirit, 
that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors  and  their  works 
do  follow  them.” 


I^istorg  of  of  0ur 

If  ye  have  Tears,  Prepare  to  Shed  Them  NowP 


“ For  the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  am  I hurt ; astonishment 
hath  taken  hold  on  me.” — jBREMi.-iH. 

“ I will  weep  bitterly,  labor  not  to  comfort  me,  because  of  the  spoiling 
of  the  daughter  of  my  people.” — Isaiah. 


^ISTEN,  dear  friends,  while  we 
tell  to  you  the  stories  which  have 
been  whispered  to  us  by  these  poor 
girls,  as  with  arms  about  them,  and 
heart  throbbing  with  pity  for  them,  they 
have  with  tear-stained  faces  and  faltering 
lips,  confided  to  us  the  way  by  which  they  fell  into 
the  abyss  of  shame  and  sin. 

Nellie  Gilroy  lost  her  mother  when  she  was  four 
years  old  and  her  father  when  she  was  eleven,  when 
she  was  turned  into  the  street  to  earn  her  living.  A 
pretty,  attractive  child,  she  aroused  the  admiration  of 
a villainous  man  who  laid  a trap  for  her  ruin.  See- 
ing her  standing  before  a jewelry  store,  admiring  as 
a child  would,  the  sparkling  gems,  he  stepped  up  to 
her  and  said,  “ Child,  would  you  like  to  have  a dia- 
mond ring  and  a watch  and  chain?”  What  child 
twelve  years  of  age,  but  would  answer  in  the  affirma- 
tive? "All  right,  just  pick  out  the  ones  you  want. 

127 


128 


THK  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


I own  this  store  and  you  shall  have  them.”  And  so 
the  delighted  little  girl  chose  her  jewels,  not  dreaming 
of  the  plot  of  the  scoundrel,  who  said,  “ Come  upstairs 
with  me  and  then  when  we  come  down  you  can  come 
into  the  store  and  get  them.”  Willingly  the  little 
thing  went  with  him,  as  the  lamb  goes  to  the  slaugh- 
ter. Better  a thousand  times  that  he  had  ‘‘slaugh- 
tered the  innocent  ’ ’ by  taking  her  life,  for  then 
her  agony  would  have  been  speedily  ended,  but  the 
screaming  child  had  no  choice  ; and  she  left  that  room 
an  outcast.  Had  she  any  redress  from  the  law,  even 
if  she  had  known  enough  to  seek  it  ? No,  for  the 
man  would  swear  that  she  had  accompanied  him 
of  her  own  free  will,  hoping  to  get  the  jewels,  and 
though  she  did  not  understand  even  what  he  wanted 
with  her,  the  judge  and  jury,  themselves  fathers  of 
little  girls,  would  hold  the  child  guilty  and  the  man 
innocent,  because  she  was  over  ten  years  of  age.  Oh, 
Justice  ! Oh,  Chivalrj'  ! 

The  outraged  little  girl  went  downstairs  and  told 
the  jeweler  what  the  supposed  owner  of  the  store  had 
told  her,  and  was  of  course  informed  that  the  man 
had  lied  to  her  with  the  express  purpose  of  her  ruin, 
and  in  the  tiny  heart  welled  up  such  a feeling  of  re- 
venge and  hatred  that  it  transformed  her  into  an  Ish- 
mael ; every  man’s  hand  seemed  against  her  and 
henceforth  her  hand  should  be  against  ever}’  man. 
She  had  never  had  a chance  to  learn,  having  only  at- 
tended school  fourteen  months  in  all  her  life,  and  of 
course  had  really  no  chance  to  earn  an  honest  living, 
and  having  roamed  the  streets  since  her  mother’s 
death,  what  wonder  that  having  been  outraged,  she 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  129 

should  accept  the  inevitable,  “and  do  as  others  do.” 
So  out  upon  the  street  she  went,  determined  to  wreak 
her  vengeance  upon  not  only  the  man  who  had  ruined 
her,  but  upon  his  sex.  She  was  the  “queen  of  the 
street  ” for  quite  a time,  and  became  an  expert  pick- 
pocket, which  yielded  her  hundreds  of  dollars.  She 
secured  a big  bank  account  and  dressed  like  a princess. 

Mr.  Crittenton  relates  how  she  used  to  come 
to  the  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  every  night  in 
a new  costume  of  gay-colored  silk  or  satin,  and 
yet  with  all  her  apparent  prosperity  she  was  far  from 
happy,  for  she  knew  she  was  that  object  of  pity  and 
contempt — a fallen  woman.  Mr.  Crittenton  first  saw 
her  on  the  street,  and  seemed  unusually  attracted  to 
her,  and  begged  her  to  give  herself  to  Christ.  So 
ignorant  was  she  that  she  said,  “ Who  is  Christ  ? ” 
He  told  her  all  he  could  in  a street  conversation  but 
begged  her  to  come  to  the  Mission,  which  she  did 
quite  regularly,  as  she  greatly  enjoyed  the  beautiful 
hymns.  All  efforts  to  get  her  to  look  seriously  on 
religious  subjects  seemed  to  fail  and  yet  she  so  much 
liked  Mr.  Crittenton  that  she  would,  out  of  regard  for 
him,  sit  and  listen  to  his  exhortations  and  prayers  by 
the  hour.  And  when  he  would  say,  “ Nellie,  won’t 
you  give  yourself  to  God  just  now  ? ” she  would  re- 
ply, “ Mr.  Crittenton,  I wish  I could  be  good  just  for 
your  sake,  but  I can’t.  Don’t  waste  any  more 
prayers  on  me.  Pray  for  somebody  that  can  be  saved, 
I’m  too  bad.”  But  Mr.  Crittenton  had  the  Christ 
hold  of  love  upon  this  poor  creature,  and  as  many  a 
time  before,  the  human  love  for  the  Christian  has 
developed  into  the  love  divine  for  the  Christ — as 


130 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


Andrew  brought  Peter  to  Jesus — this  “brother  of 
girls  ” was  not  discouraged,  and  one  night  he  said  to 
her,  “ Remember,  Nellie,  as  long  as  you  live  and  I 
live,  I will  pray  for  your  conversion.  No  matter  how 
deep  in  sin  you  are,  you  will  always  know  you  have 
one  friend  who  is  praying  for  you."’  The  girl  for 
whom  nobody  cared  was  touched  and  burst  into  tears. 
And  yet  she  was  not  ready  to  surrender,  and  one  less 
hopeful  than  Mr.  Crittenton  would  have  given  her  up 
as  hopeless.  One  afternoon  about  dusk  she  came  to 
the  Florence  Mission  and  Mr.  Crittenton  prayed  and 
talked  with  her  with  unusual  fervor,  and  seemed  to 
be  making  a deep  impression  upon  her,  and  ended 
with  the  usual  question,  “Won’t  you  give  yourself 
to  Christ  now  ? ” She  said,  quite  coolly,  “ Mr.  Crit- 
tenton, you  must  be  crazy,  but  if  it  does  you  any 
good  to  pray  for  me,  you  can  pray  some  more,  for  I 
can’t  go  out  for  an  hour  yet,  till  after  dark,  to  sell 
that  opium  pipe  I stole  from  a Chinese  joint  last 
night,’’  and  she  laughed  with  great  gusto  as  she  re- 
lated her  escapade  of  the  way  she  watched  the  China- 
man till  he  got  to  sleep  and  then  made  away  with 
his  pipe,  and  ending  up  with  the  query,  “Say,  Mr. 
Crittenton,  it’s  worth  forty  dollars,  don’t  you  think  I 
ought  to  get  twenty  dollars  for  it  ? All  I get  over 
that.  I’ll  give  to  Florence  Mission.” 

At  last  Mr.  Crittenton  was  on  the  eve  of  his  de- 
parture for  Europe,  and  thinking  a farewell  message 
might  have  more  effect,  he  sought  her  again  and 
though  she  seemed  repentant,  and  wished  to  lead  a 
better  life,  still  the  old  temptations  were  too  strong. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  13I 

and  that  very  night  she  picked  a man’s  pocket  of 
two  hundred  dollars.  Was  she  hopeless  ? 

Out  upon  the  sea,  Mr.  Crittenton  every  day 
prayed  for  Nellie  Gilroy,  and  during  all  his  summer 
trip,  her  eternal  welfare,  as  well  as  that  of  ‘ ‘ his 
other  girls  at  the  Mission,”  burned  upon  his  heart. 
But  when  he  returned  in  the  fall,  Nellie  was  still  in 
sin  and  Mr.  Crittenton  realized,  as  many  another  has, 
‘‘  that  hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick.”  At 
this  time  Nellie  had  been  the  mistress  of  one  man  for 
some  months,  and  they  were  keeping  house  in  a flat 
in  upper  New  York,  and  all  the  families  supposed 
these  two  were  married,  and  associated  with  them  on 
terms  of  equality.  Next  door  was  a church  and  one 
Sufiday  morning  she  heard  the  singing,  and  God’s 
Spirit  began  to  strive  with  her,  and  she  saw  her 
wicked  life  in  all  its  hideousness.  Once  Mr.  Critten- 
ton had  given  her  a copy  of  the  Book  of  Psalms, 
which  she  had  hidden  in  the  bottom  of  her  trunk,  to 
get  rid  of  it.  But  now  it  seemed  the  only  thing 
which  would  give  her  any  comfort,  and  down  upon 
her  knees  she  went  beside  the  bed  and  the  book 
opened  to  the  51st  Psalm,  the  cry  of  David  the  adul- 
turer  and  murderer,  and  with  a rain  of  tears  blotting 
the  page,  she  drank  in  every  word.  Then  she  tried 
to  pray,  and  this  was  her  simple  petition,  ‘‘Oh, 
Dord,  you  know  I never  had  a chance,  nor  any  bring- 
ing up.  You  know  my  mother  died  when  I was  four 
years  old,  and  my  fatner  when  I was  eleven,  and  you 
know  how  I was  ruined  and  how  bad  I’ve  been.  But 
I’ve  heard  them  say  at  Florence  Mission  that  you  can 
take  bad  folks  and  make  them  good,  and,  dear  Lord, 


132 


The  traffic  in  girts. 


I want  to  be  good.”  Do  you  not  suppose  the  blessed 
Christ  heard  that  prayer  ? 

Then  she  rose  from  her  feet,  and  when  the  man 
with  whom  she  was  living  came  home  to  dinner,  she 

said,  ‘‘  Mr.  R. , it  is  not  right  the  way  we  are 

living  together,  and  either  you  or  I must  leave  this 
house  to-day.”  ‘‘Why,  Nellie,  are  you  crazy? 
What  are  you  thinking  of?  You  know  I have 
always  introduced  you  as  my  wife,  and  treated  j’ou 
well,  bringing  you  all  my  wages.  You’ve  been  true 
to  me  and  I’ve  been  true  to  you,  and  we  love  each 
other,  and  in  the  sight  of  God  we  are  married.”  She 
replied,  with  how  much  bravery,  no  woman  not  in 

her  position  can  know,  ‘‘  That’s  all  true,  Mr.  R. , 

but  you  know  we  are  not  married  and  God  has  shown 
me  my  sin  and  one  or  the  other  of  us  must  leave  this 
house  to-day.”  ‘‘  Well,  Nellie,  I profess  to  be  a gen- 
tleman and  I would  not  turn  a woman  into  the  street, 
and  so  of  course  I’ll  go,  and  you  can  have  the  furni- 
ture, but  I’ll  leave  my  address  and  if  you  want  me 
send  for  me.  You  know  I love  you,  Nellie.”  Ah, 
poor  child,  she  loved  him,  too,  and  j’et  she  was 
sending  out  of  her  life  the  only  human  being  in  all 
the  world  that  loved  her.  Do  3'ou  wonder  that  her 
eyes  were  full  of  tears?  Surely  Jesus  was  sajnng  to 
her  as  he  does  to  every  disciple,  ‘‘  Take  up  thy 
cross  and  follow  after  me.  ’ ’ Would  all  of  us  do  it  as 
bravely  as  did  this  poor  gjrl  whom  the  world  calls 
fallen  ? 

Back  into  her  desolate  rooms  she  went  and  again 
threw  herself  on  her  knees,  begging  God  to  keep  her 
and  not  let  her  send  for  this  man  whom  she  loved  so 


Pl,ORENC^  CRITTS^N'TON  MISSIONS. 


133 


madly  that  she  would  almost  sell  her  soul  for  him. 
Ah,  God  would  empty  heaven  of  its  angels  before  He 
would  suffer  the  Evil  One  to  snatch  back  that  soul 
which  He  had  redeemed.  She  immediately  dis- 
patched a note  to  Mr.  Crittenton  at  Florence  Mission, 
begging  him  to  come  to  her.  For  some  reason  the 
note  did  not  reach  him  as  soon  as  it  should,  and  she 
waited  and  waited,  and  still  he — the  one  in  all  the 
world  she  trusted — did  not  come.  So  several  days 
passed  by.  The  devil  tempted  her  mightily,  saying, 

‘ ‘ You  see  Mr.  Crittenton  has  gone  back  on  you.  He 
thinks  you’re  no  good.  You’ve  refused  all  his  invi- 
tations so  many  times  that  he  won’t  have  anything 
to  do  with  you.  You  had  a good  deal  better  send 

for  R . He  loves  you  and  he’ll  take  care  of  you. 

How  are  you  going  to  live  any  way?  You  can’t  get 
much  for  this  furniture,  and  after  that’s  used  up,  you 
know  you  can’t  earn  your  living,  and  you’ll  have  to 
go  back  to  your  old  life  on  the  street,  and  that’s  lots 
worse  than  just  living  with  one  man.  In  the  sight 
of  God  you  are  married  to  him.”  Do  you  wonder 
that  she  was  tempted  ? More  than  once  she  looked 
at  the  address  and  knew  that  a word  from  her  would 
bring  him  back.  And  she  was,  oh,  so  hungry  for 
love.  But  nobly  she  stood  to  her  purpose,  and  she 
often  describes  those  days  of  trial,  and  how  Jesus 
sustained  her.  In  her  loneliness  she  would  commune 
with  Him  as  though  He  were  a living  presence.  Ah  ! 
He  is  a living  presence,  and  no  one  knows  that  better 
than  the  once  lost  but  now  redeemed  Nellie  Gilroy. 
At  night  when  she  would  go  to  bed,  after  saying 


134 


THE  Traffic  in  girfs. 


her  prayers,  she  would  softly  say,  “ Good-night, 
Jesus,  Good-night  ! ” 

But  deliverance  is  at  hand,  “for  God  will  not  suf- 
fer us  to  be  tempted  above  that  we  are  able  to  stand,” 
and  at  last  Mr.  Crittenton  received  the  pleading  note. 
Do  you  think  he  waited  long  to  go  to  the  child  ? He 
did  not  know  his  prayers  were  being  answered. 
When  he  arrived  he  found  her  with  the  little  book  of 
Psalms,  conning  over  that  prayer  of  David,  whose 
sin  of  adultery  was  blacker  than  hers,  for  to  his  was 
added  murder.  A prayer,  a little  conversation  and 
then  a burst  of  song,  for  another  soul  was  redeemed. 
Mr.  Crittenton  thought  it  best  for  her  to  come  to  the 
Florence  Mission,  where  she  would  not  be  so  lonel}' 
and  miss  so  much  the  companionship  of  the  man  she 
loved.  Her  happiness  was  unbounded  and  ever  since 
she  has  been  praising  God. 

Now  listen  to  the  happy  sequel.  It  sounds  just 
like  a story-book.  But  God’s  truth  is  stranger  than 
fiction.  In  her  agony  and  temptation  she  had  read  in 
her  precious  little  book  of  Psalms,  “ Trust  in  the  Lord 
and  do  good  ; and  so  shalt  thou  dwell  in  the  land, 
and  verily  thou  shalt  be  fed.  Delight  thyself  also 
in  the  Lord  : and  he  shall  give  thee  the  desires  of  thy 
heart.  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord  ; trust  also  in 
him  and  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass.”  Trusting  in  that 
promise  she  had  conquered  the  tempter,  and  now 
God  was  going  “ to  bring  it  to  pass.”  One  night  she 
saw  in  the  Florence  Mission  the  man  she  had  called 
husband.  She  trembled  half  with  fear  and  half  with 
gladness,  for  she  still  loved  him.  And  yet  so  thor- 
oughly do  these  poor  girls  understand  the  contempt 


FLORENCE  CRITLENLON  MISSIONS.  135 

in  which  they  are  held  by  these  men  who  make  the 
most  fervent  protestations  of  love,  that  she  said  the 
thought  that  he  would  want  to  marry  her  never  once 
entered  her  mind,  and  she  supposed  when  she  sent 
him  away,  refusing  to  longer  live  with  him  in  sin, 
that  she  would  never  see  him  again.  It  is  such  a 
common  thing  for  the  paramour  in  a life  of  shame,  to 
come  to  the  Mission  to  try  to  win  back  the  girl  to  the 
old  life,  that  their  presence  is  always  feared  by  the 
Matron  and  Superintendent,  for  the  hold  they  have  on 
the  girls,  even  though  they  mistreat  them  horribly,  is 
most  astonishing.  So  Nellie  and  her  friends  in  the 
Mission  looked  askance  at  the  young  man  and  pre- 
pared for  a defensive  warfare  for  the  soul  of  the  re- 
pentant child.  Mr.  Crittenton  was  especially  anxious, 
for  no  one  knows  better  than  he  the  tricks  these  men 
will  resort  to,  in  order  to  get  repossession  of  the  girl 
and  again  lure  her  into  a life  of  shame.  Oftentimes 
they  pretend  they  will  marry  the  betrayed  one,  thus 
trying  to  deceive  her  very  friends.  But  their  fears 
were  groundless,  for  the  same  Omnipotent  Spirit  of 
God  that  can  cleanse  the  heart  of  a fallen  woman,  can 
also  cleanse  the  heart  of  a fallen  man,  though  the  task 
is  indeed  a difficult  one,  for  fallen  men  do  not  realize 
their  sinfulness  as  do  fallen  women,  though  often 
their  guilt  is  far  greater.  In  Florence  Mission  he 
found  the  Saviour,  and  the  very  first  act  of  his  new 
life,  which  proved  indeed  his  conversion  was  genuine, 
was  an  interview  with  Mr.  Crittenton,  in  which  he 
asked  for  the  hand  of  Nellie  Gilroy,  and  after  a time, 
in  which  he  showed  honest  affection,  there  was  a 
happy  wedding  at  the  Florence  Crittenton  Mission, 


136 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


and  these  redeemed  ones  went  back  to  their  same 
little  home  which  Nellie  thought  she  had  entirely 
broken  up  when  she  sent  her  heart’s  idol  away.  We 
had  the  great  pleasure  of  visiting  this  consecrated 
little  home,  and  in  all  America  probably  there  is  not  a 
happier  family,  for  those  “who  have  been  forgiven 
much,  love  much.’’  The  following  poem  shows 
the  native  ability  of  “ this  child  of  the  streets  ’’  who 
never  had  but  fourteen  months  schooling : 

TO  THE  WANDERER.' 

BY  MRS.  E R . 

“ Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are  heavy  laden,  and  I will  give  you  rest,*» 
Matt.  XI,  28 

Dear  one,  why  wander  in  sorrow  alone? 

There’s  one  loving  heart  that  bids  you  to  come 

And  lay  your  poor  weary  head  on  His  breast ; 

Ah,  there  you’ll  find  comfort,  yea  peace  and  rest. 

Oh,  what  have  you  gained  since  first  you  did  roam 

From  the  scenes  of  your  childhood’s  sweet,  simple  home? 

Where  are  the  pleasures,  the  friendships  you  wed  ? — 

Your  tired  heart  whispers  : All,  all  are  dead. 

Then  why  not  accept  the  hand  of  a Friend 
Who  offers  to  guide  you  safe  to  life’s  end? — 

Then  tenderly  bear  you  to  His  bright  home 

Where  hearts  ne’er  grow  weary,  where  tears  are  unknown. 

Tell  the  dear  Saviour  you’re  tired  of  sin. 

Ask  for  His  help  a new  life  to  begin  ; 

He’ll  bless  you,  aid  you,  and  give  you  sweet  rest, 

And  wash  the  dark  past  from  your  poor  weary  breast. 

Another  so  loving,  gentle  and  kind. 

Believe  me,  dear  wand’rer,  you  never’ll  find ; 

Pardon  and  mercy,  He  freely  will  give. 

His  great  love  is  boundless,  accept  it  and  live. 


Florence;  crit'Fenton  missions.  * 137 

Surely  such  friendship  you  cannot  -well  spurn, 

So  why  slight  Him  longer  ? — Dear  one  return, 

He’s  patiently  waiting,  ope’  your  heart’s  door, 

And  promise  to  love  Him  and  wander  no  more. 

“ Sister  Charlotte  ” is  another  of  “ our  girls  ” with 
a remarkable  history.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a 
Baptist  minister  and  raised  amid  Christian  influences. 
When  about  sixteen  years  of  age  a well-dressed 
stranger  made  his  appearance  in  the  little  town,  and 
won  her  affections.  She  was  married  to  him  and  her 
friends  thought  she  had  done  very  well.  They  went 
to  New  York  to  live  and  for  several  months  all  went 
well.  The  young  wife  loved  her  husband  devotedly, 
and  expecting  to  become  a mother  soon,  life  looked 
radiant  to  her,  when  one  night  she  received  a note 
from  him  from  Ludlow  street  jail,  begging  her  to 
come  to  him.  She  went  and  he  then  confessed  that 
he  was  a gambler  and  thief,  and  had  been  for  years. 
Almost  distracted  the  young  wife  burst  into  a flood  of 
weeping,  which  was  coolly  disturbed  by  her  husband 
saying,  “You  know  now  just  what  I am  and  how  I 
make  my  living,  and  I want  to  know  whether  you 
want  to  stay  with  me  and  help  me  in  this  business. 
I can  train  you  so  we  can  make  lots  of  money,  and 
you  can  just  now  take  your  choice  of  helping  me  or 
going  back  to  your  father  a disgraced  woman.’’  Here 
was  Satan  in  the  form  of  a dearly-loved  husband  mak- 
ing a bid  for  the  soul  of  this  child-wife.  What  was 
she  to  do  ? It  was  the  supreme  moment  of  her  life. 
Poor  child  ! she  hardly  realized  what  his  proposition 
meant,  only  that  if  she  did  not  accede  to  it,  she  would 
forever  lose  her  husband,  and  must  go  back  to  her 


138 


THE  TRAEEIC  in  girts. 


father’s  house  disgraced  and  heart-broken  or  she  must 
earn  her  living  as  best  she  could.  She  had  no  way  of 
supporting  herself,  much  less  a child  whose  very  ex- 
istence would  tie  her  hands  for  money-making  work. 
How  often  this  financial  depende7ice  forces  women  to 
sell  their  souls.  Had  she  a trade  or  profession  she 
could  have  spurned  his  base  proposal.  But  not  hav- 
ing, and  disgrace  and  starvation  staring  her  in  the 
face,  and  a beloved  husband  pleading  for  her  to  re- 
main with  him,  she  did  — what  manj'  of  us  would  do 
under  the  same  circumstances^ — chose  her  husband 
and  possible  sin.  One  does  not  need  to  look  into 
eternity  alone,  to  find  a hell  for  wrong-doing.  Sin 
brings  its  own  punishment.  And  for  years  and  years 
this  poor  deceived  girl  did  not  have  a happy  moment 
and  was  reallj'  in  a hell  upon  earth.  The  first  thing 
her  new  task-master  compelled  her  to  do,  was  to  have 
an  abortion  committed,  she  finding  the  man  she  loved, 
who  had  been  to  her  the  ideal  of  ever>Thing  good  in 
manhood,  was  willing  to  murder  his  own  child.  How 
many,  many  of  us  find  “ we  make  our  idols  and  we 
find  them  clay.”  In  the  unnatural  operation  she 
went  down  to  death’s  door,  and  almost  paid  the  pen- 
alty of  her  own  life  for  taking  the  life  of  her  child. 
In  hundreds  of  cases  of  abortion  the  Mosaic  law  is 
fulfilled  literally,  ” A life  for  a life.”  Then  this  man 
taught  her  with  the  coolness  of  Fagin  to  become  a 
most  expert  shoplifter,  and  for  years  she  purloined 
money,  jewelry,  and  all  kinds  of  goods  to  the  value  of 
thousands  of  dollars.  Possessed  of  a fascinating  face, 
a fine  figure  and  the  dignified  and  even  haughty  bear- 
ing of  a countess,  she  would  march  into  a dry-goods 


FLORENCi;  crittknton  missions.  139 

store,  look  over  the  most  expensive  laces  and  velvets 
and  adroitly  pick  up  a Paisley  shawl,  throw  it  over 
her  arm  in  the  coolest  manner  and  walk  out  of  the 
store,  and  would  even  deceive  the  watchful  eyes  of  all 
employes.  And  if  any  one  did  suspect  her  and  speak 
to  her  of  their  suspicion,  she  would  meet  the  interro- 
gation with  such  withering  scorn  and  apparent  inno- 
cency,  that  no  man  would  dare  again  make  even  an 
insinuation,  and  would  humbly  apologize  for  har- 
boring a thought  against  her.  So  wonderfully  skill- 
ful did  she  become  that  she  had  hooks  concealed  in 
her  skirts  so  that  she  could  carry  shoes,  and  all  kinds 
of  packages,  which  were  afterward  sold.  To  drown 
her  conscience  she  began  to  drink,  and  of  course, 
grew  reckless,  and  was  willing  to  add  to  the  sin  of 
theft,  that  of  prostitution,  to  obtain  money  and  satisfy 
her  husband’s  greed  for  gain.  The  last,  however, 
she  never  resorted  to  unless  she  found  it  impossible 
otherwise  to  rob  her  wealthy  patron.  She  sent  large 
sums  of  money  home  to  her  aged  parents,  who  sup- 
posed her  husband  to  be  a wealthy  man.  Some- 
times she  would  go  home  on  a visit,  when  her  father 
would  proudly  speak  of  her  great  generosity  to  her 
parents,  and  wish  that  all  parents  had  such  lovely 
children.  Knowing  the  utter  foulness  of  her  life, 
her  feelings  at  such  times  can  be  better  imagined 
than  described,  and  unwilling  to  leave  the  life,  she 
drank  and  drank  to  stifle  all  better  aspirations,  and 
found  herself  fast  sinking  to  the  lowest  depths  of 
shame,  when  one  night  she  staggered  up  the  steps  of 
Florence  Crittenton  Mission  and  was  invited  in  by 
Mr.  Crittenton  himself.  There  she  heard  the  hymns 


140  THE  Traffic  in  cires. 

sung  to  her  as  a little  child,  by  her  sainted  mother, 
and  was  stricken  with  penitence  and  ere-long  she 
found  the  only  happiness  her  life  had  known  for 
years,  in  accepting  the  Christ  who  said  so  tenderly, 
“ Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you, 
and  learn  of  me  ; for  I am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart  ; 
And  ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls."  Rest ! she  had 
not  known  the  meaning  of  the  word  since  that  gloomy 
day  in  Rudlow  street  jail,  when  she  took  the  devil  as 
her  task-master,  and  alas  ! she  had  found  that  ‘ ‘ the 
wages  of  sin  is  death.”  Her  conversion  was  a glori- 
ous one,  and  her  testimonies  were  wonderfully  used 
of  God  in  bringing  wanderers  back  to  the  narrow 
way.  Then  her  whole  soul  went  out  to  God  that  her 
husband  might  be  saved,  and  though  God  tried  her 
faith  for  some  time,  yet  at  last  her  prayers  were  an- 
swered, and  for  months  before  her  husband’s  death 
she  knew  it  was  well  with  his  soul. 

God  had  endowed  her  with  wonderful  gifts  and 
now  she  consecrated  them  entirely  to  His  service. 
She  went  out  into  the  dives  and  dance-halls  and  won 
from  their  horrors  man)^  a 3^oung  man  and  many  a 
dear  girl,  and  so  successful  was  she  that  she  was 
known  as  the  leader  of  the  ” Florence  Mission  Rescue 
Band.”  Very  largely  from  her  efforts  has  grown  the 
Christian  Alliance,  an  industrial  scheme  something 
like  the  Salvation  Armj^  shelters,  where  men  can  be 
helped  back  to  honest,  self-supporting  lives.  It  is 
doing  a great  work  for  humanit}^,  and  Florence  Mis- 
sion is  always  proud  of  the  work  for  the  Master  done 
by  her  children.  ‘‘  Sister  Charlotte  ” is  a speaker  of 


FLORENC:^  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  I41 

uuusuai  power  and  often  pleads  for  the  erring  boys 
and  girls  before  large  audiences  in  the  wealthy 
churches  of  New  York  and  other  places,  and  thus  is 
helping  to  change  public  sentiment  to  pity  for  these 
lost  in  sin. 

One  of  the  most  pitiful  cases  was  that  of  Annie 
who  was  rescued  from  one  of  the  lowest  dives,  kept 
by  an  Italian,  and  the  story  she  told  Mrs.  Emily  Pitt 
Stevens,  the  “ W.  C.  T.  U.  Demosthenes,”  and  Na- 
tional Organizer  of  that  great  body,  who  often  relates 
it  on  the  platform,  ought  to  make  the  blood  of  all 
Americans  so  boil  with  indignation  that  they  would 
tear  such  monsters  limb  from  limb,  or  better  still,  vote 
against  the  saloon — the  cause.  She  was  rescued  by 
the  Florence  Mission  Rescue  Band,  one  of  the  men 
taking  her  bodily  from  the  den,  which  so  infuriated 
the  inhuman  slave-master  that  he  fired  several  shots 
at  the  retreating  figures,  hoping  to  kill  one  or  both,  ^ 
for  these  brothel-keepers  would  at  any  time  rather 
murder  a girl  than  have  her  escape  their  clutches. 
One  reason  is  because  these  girls  and  their  degra- 
dation means  money  to  them,  and  another  is  that  they 
know  that  if  their  horrid  cruelties  are  exposed  that 
they  may  well  fear  lynching. 

When  the  girl  was  brought  to  the  Florence  Mis- 
sion she  was  in  a most  pitiable  condition,  her  body 
being  covered  with  bruises  and  cuts  and  scars  until 
her  own  mother  would  hardly  know  her.  She  was 
given  a bath  and  clean  clothing,  and  her  vermin-cov- 
ered rags  were  burned,  and  the  next  day  Mrs.  Stevens 
kneeling  by  her  bedside  heard  the  saddest  of  stories 
from  lips  quivering  with  emotion.  ‘‘  I was  the 


142 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


daughter  of  Christian  parents  and  a Sunday-school 
scholar  for  years,  but  in  social  life  I learned  to  love 
wine,  and  under  its  influence  I was  ruined.  My  par- 
ents cast  me  out  and  I drifted  down — down — down, 
till  I found  myself  with  four  other  girls  the  slave  of 
an  Italian  dive-keeper  who  compelled  us  to  receive 
any  and  all  men  who  came,  and  took  every  cent  of  our 
shameful  earnings.  When  we  would  rebel,  he  would 
attack  us  with  knives  and  clubs.”  And  the  bruises 
and  cuts  yet  unhealed  on  all  parts  of  her  body  attested 
the  truth  of  her  words. 

‘‘  The  doors  were  always  kept  locked  and  we  were 
never  allowed  outside  our  prison-house.  I can  never 
be  thankful  enough  that  I have  been  brought  to  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Mission,  for  here  I have  found  Jesus. 
But  oh,  go  back  and  save  the  other  girls  who  are 
slaves  of  these  vile  men.” 

Is  it  strange  that  as  Mrs.  Stevens  heard  that  agon- 
izing cry,  that  upon  her  knees  she  took  an  oath  that, 
God  helping  her,  she  would  tell  this  terrible  tale  till 
men  and  women  would  rouse  out  of  their  strange 
lethargy  and  sweep  this  awful  traffic  in  girls,  caused 
by  the  traffic  in  rum,  from  all  Christendom  ? No  won- 
der when  she  eloquently  repeats  the  weird  cry  of  this 
poor  victim,  “ Oh,  save  the  other  girls  who  are  slaves 
of  vile  men,”  that  sobs  can  be  heard  from  many  of  her 
auditors,  and  when  she  declares,  ‘ ‘ had  mothers  the 
ballot  we  would  save  the  ‘other  girls,’  thunders  of 
applause  prove  that  mother-love  crystallized  into  votes 
will  save  our  daughters  from  a death  in  the  charitj^ 
hospital,  and  a nameless  grave  in  the  Potter’s  field. 

Mr,  Crittenton  often  tells  of  the  case  of  a little 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


143 


girl  only  thirteen  years  of  age  whose  story  will  make 
every  mother  clasp  her  little  child  closer  to  her  bosom 
lest  such  terrible  fate  befall  her.  The  little  thing 
was  found  in  a Chinese  den,  her  long  hair  matted  with 
filth,  and  alive  with  vermin.  She  had  been  kept  for 
weeks  in  a drunken  stupor  and  when  examined  by 
the  physicians  of  Florence  Mission,  who  are  used  to 
horrible  scenes,  they  were  so  unutterably  shocked 
that  they  burst  into  tears.  In  a few  days  the  child 
was  well  enough  to  tell  her  story,  which  bears  the 
impress  of  truth  and  was  verified  by  some  of  the 
Mission  workers. 

“ I haven’t  any  mother  nor  father  and  I thought 
my  aunt  in  Vermont  did  n’t  treat  me  right,  and  so 
I just  jumped  on  the  cars  and  thought  I would 
come  to  New  York  and  live  with  my  Uncle  George. 
And  when  I got  here  I was  so  lonesome,  that  in 
the  restaurant  where  I was  eating  my  dinner,  I 
just  cried,  and  a real  kind  policeman  came  up  to  me 
and  said,  ‘ What’s  the  matter,  little  girl  ? ’ and  I said, 
I wanted  to  find  my  Uncle  George,  and  I was  so  lone- 
some. And  he  said  real  kind-like,  ‘ Well,  don’t  cry  ! 
I know  where  your  Uncle  George  lives,  and  I’ll  take 
you  right  to  him.’  And  he  seemed  so  good,  and  he 
paid  for  my  little  lunch,  and  then  I went  with  him — 
and — and — ” How  could  the  child  describe  her  tort- 
ure ? But  the  Rescue  Band  found  out  that,  that  police- 
man turned  her  over  to  another  policeman,  who  in  turn 
brutally  maltreated  her,  and  in  less  than  three  weeks 
she  was  found  in  the  lowest  Chinese  slums,  where  her 
poor  little  body  earned  money  for  these  devils  in 


144 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


human  shape,  and  so  dreadfully  lacerated  was  she 
that  she  died  in  most  excruciating  agony. 

Let  me  tell  you  of  one  whom  we  might  have  had 
at  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  had  the  man  into  whose 

clutches  she  fell  been  any  one  else  than  . Well, 

listen  to  the  story. 

A man  who  called  himself  a gentleman,  though 
he  frequented  houses  of  shame,  tiring  of  all  the 
girls  at  a certain  resort,  asked  the  keeper  to  get  him 
a “fresh  ’’  article.  The  keeper  had  noticed  a beauti- 
ful young  school-girl  going  by  daily,  and  she  deter- 
mined to  trap  her  for  her  wealthy  patron,  and  to  this 
end  took  one  of  the  house- servants  into  the  plot. 

One  morning  this  servant,  an  old  colored  woman, 
was  washing  the  steps  as  the  girl  went  by,  and  rising 
from  her  knees  she  exclaimed,  “ Honey  ! you’s  dress 
is  all  torn  in  de  back.  Come  in  a minute  and  I’ll  fix 
it  up.’’ 

The  unsuspecting  child  startled,  quickl}^  stepped 
inside,  and  immediately  the  door  was  locked  and  she 
found  she  was  a captive  and  was  utterl}'  bewildered. 
A messenger  was  sent  for  the  patron  with  the  news 
that  a beautiful  young  girl  was  at  his  disposal.  Hur- 
riedly he  went,  and  as  he  opened  the  door  of  the  bed- 
chamber the  girl  rushed  and  threw  herself  sobbing 
on  his  bosom,  with  the  words,  “Oh,  papa!  I’m  so 
glad  you’ve  come.  They’ve  got  me  locked  in  here  for 
something — I don’t  know  what — and  I was  so  afraid. 
How  did  3^ou  find  me,  papa  ? ’ ’ 

What  if  some  other  man  had  been  sent  for?  No 
wonder  that  man  was  converted  into  a rescue  worker. 

Who  has  not  heard  the  story  of  Nellie  Conroy, 


fi^orsnce;  critti;nton  missions.  145 

whose  agonizing  question,  ‘ ‘ Where  can  I go  ? ” in 
answer  to  Mr.  Crittenton’s  quoting  the  words  of 
Jesus,  “Go  and  sin  no  more,”  was  the  means  of  found- 
ing the  Florence  Crittenton  Missions.  Mr.  H.  B. 
Gibbud,  a grand  worker,  thus  tells  the  story. 

At  an  early  age  her  father  died  and  her  mother 
became  a drunkard  and  sold  Nellie  when  only  twelve 
years  old  to  her  own  paramour — then  becoming  jeal- 
ous of  her,  drove  her  from  the  house.  She  came 
to  New  York,  hoping  to  earn  a livelihood  as  a 
servant,  but  being  young  and  pretty,  she  was  en- 
ticed into  one  of  the  gilded  palaces  of  sin  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  city  and  there  began  the  down- 
ward course  that  left  her  at  last  a wreck  in  Bax- 
ter street.  Here  for  nine  years  she  lived,  becoming 
a victim  to  all  the  vices  that  attend  a dissipated  life. 
Writing  of  her  past,  she  said  : 

“I  never  enjoyed  much  of  my  parents’  love. 
Heaven  deprived  me  of  one  of  the  kindest  fathers 
and  left  me  a mother.  But  oh,  poor  mother  I — the 
victim  of  the  rum-god,  the  quiet,  gentle  woman  in 
her  sober  moments,  the  one  who  ought  to  have 
been  the  guide  of  my  youth  and  innocence  next 
to  God — she  turned  into  a living  demon,  and  so, 
basely  forgot  her  child  and  cast  her  out  in  her  ten- 
der, innocent  years  upon  the  waves  of  a cold  and 
heartless  world.  If  she  had  been  a mother  I would 
not  have  been  here  to-day.  Then  I was  young 
and  healthy ; now  I am  a wreck,  and  she  struck  the 
first  blow.  Oh,  if  she  could  only  look  on  the  wreck 
her  own  hands  have  made  ! My  soul  often  cries  out. 
Oh,  mother,  are  you  living  or  dead  ? It  seems  you 


146 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRI^. 


cannot  rest  and  think  of  your  poor  girl  whom  you 
helped  to  murder.  These  thoughts  often  come  to  me, 
but  I have  sweetly  learned  to  say,  “Father,  forgive 
poor  mother ; it  was  rum  that  did  it.  Oh,  may  God 
save  poor  drunken  mother,  if  she  be  in  the  land  of 
the  living  !“ 

When  I found  this  poor  girl  in  “Hell  Gate,”  a 
place  appropriately  named,  she  was  much  intoxicated  : 
tall  and  thin,  one  could  see  that  consumption  was 
doing  its  fatal  work.  She  had  no  hat,  no  shoes : a 
dirty  calico  dress  was  all  the  clothing  she  had  on,  and 
that  was  not  in  condition  to  cover  her  nakedness. 
Her  hair  was  matted  and  tangled,  her  face  bruised  and 
swollen  ; both  eyes  were  blackened  by  the  fist  of  a 
huge  negro  who  held  her  as  his  slave,  and  had  beaten 
her  because  she  had  not  brought  him  as  much  money 
as  he  wanted.  I invited  her  to  the  meeting  and 
passed  on.  Near  the  close  of  the  meeting  she  came 
in  ; with  tearful  eyes  she  listened  to  the  story  of 
Jesus,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  request  prayers. 
After  the  meeting  she  expressed  a desire  for  a better 
life,  but  she  had  no  place  to  go,  save  to  the  dens  of 
infamy  from  which  she  came.  I decided  to  take  her 
to  a home  for  fallen  women,  and,  accompanied  by  a 
friend  who  had  assisted  me  in  the  meetings,  we 
started. 

We  were  going  toward  the  cars,  and  congratu- 
lating ourselves  that  we  had  gotten  away  unobserved, 
when  we  were  confronted  by  the  ver}"  negro  we  sought 
to  escape.  With  an  oath,  he  demanded,  “ Whar  you 
folks  takin’  dat  gal  to?”  It  was  a fearful  moment, 
near  midnight,  a dark  street,  and  not  a soul  in  sight. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  147 

I expected  every  moment  to  have  him  strike  me.  I 
was  no  match  for  him.  Signaling  my  friend  to  go  on 
with  the  girl,  and  taking  the  negro  by  the  coat,  I said 
excitedly,  ‘ ‘ I am  taking  her  to  a Christian  home — to 
a better  life.  If  ever  you  prayed  for  any  one,  pray  for 
her ; I know  you  are  a bad  man,  but  you  would  be 
glad  to  help  any  girl  away  from  this  place.  So  pray 
for  her  as  you  have  never  prayed  before.” 

Her  life  until  her  death — nearly  two  years  later — 
was  that  of  a faithful  Christian.  She  gave  satis- 
faction to  her  employers ; she  was  blessed  of  God  in 
her  testimony  at  the  Mission,  and  soon  she  was  sought 
after  by  churches,  temperance  societies  and  missions, 
to  tell  what  great  things  the  Lord  had  done  for  her. 
She  spoke  to  a large  audience  of  nearly  three  thousand 
people  in  the  Cooper  Union,  New  York,  holding  them 
spellbound  with  her  pathetic  story.  One  of  the  daily 
papers,  writing  of  her,  said  : “ Miss  Conroy  is  possessed 
of  a wonderful  gift  of  language  and  a natural  Irish 
wit,  this  with  her  thrilling  story  makes  her  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  entertaining  speakers  before  the 
public.”  She  was  uneducated,  but  had  a remarkable 
memory ; she  soon  became  familiar  with  the  Bible, 
and  many  were  won  to  Christ  through  her  testimonies. 
Her  pale  face  would  become  flushed  with  a hectic  glow 
as  she  spoke  of  the  wonderful  things  God  had  done 
for  her. 

‘‘Glory  be  to  His  great  name,”  she  would  say, 
“ it  was  no  common  blood  that  washed  Nellie  Conroy 
from  her  sins,  and  no  common  power  that  reached 
down  and  took  her  from  the  slums  of  Baxter  street, 
after  nine  years  of  sin  and  dissipation.  It  was  no 


148 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


common  blood  that  washed  and  cleansed  her  and  gave 
her  back  purified  to  the  bosom  of  virtuous  society ; 
it  was  the  precious  Blood  of  Jesus.  Glory  to  His 
name;  won’t  many  be  surprised  when  the  roll  is 
called  in  heaven  to  hear  Nellie  Conroy  answer  to  her 
name?  ” 

Her  life  was  indeed  a changed  one  ; from  idleness, 
filth,  drunkenness  and  sin,  she  was  transformed  into 
a neat,  industrious,  sober,  godly  woman.  But  sin 
had  sown  its  seed  and  she  must  reap  the  harvest ; she 
grew  weaker  until  at  last  she  went  to  the  St.  Luke 
Hospital  to  linger  some  months  in  great  suffering  and 
pain,  but  all  was  borne  with  a spirit  of  Christian 
resignation.  Her  testimonj'^  was — 

“ The  love  He  has  kindled  within  me 
Makes  service  or  suffering  sweet.” 

A friend  visiting  her  read  the  “Sermon  on  the 
Mount.’’  As  she  listened  to  the  Beatitudes  she 
repeated  them  after  the  reader,  and  when  the  last  one 
was  uttered,  she  said,  “ There  is  one  more  blessed.’’ 
“No  Nellie,’’  replied  her  friend,  “ I read  them  all.’’ 
“No,  one  more,’’  she  insisted,  “ Blessed  are  the  dead, 
who  die  in  the  Lord.’’ 

One  da5^a  visitor  said,  “Nellie,  you  are  nearing 
the  river.’’  “Yes,”  she  said,  “I  have  already 
stepped  in,  but  God’s  word  says,  ‘ When  thou  passeth 
through  the  waters  I will  be  with  thee,  and  through 
the  rivers  they  shall  not  overflow  thee  ; ’ the  promise 
is  true,  I am  dry  shod.” 

At  the  last  she  could  scarcely  speak ; she  knew 
her  end  was  near;  and  when  the  14th  of  John  was  read 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


149 


to  her  she  said,  ‘ ‘ My  mansion  is  there,  the  Comforter 
is  here  ; the  promise  is  fulfilled.  Sing  at  my  funeral, 

“ I am  going  home  to  die  no  more." 

The  night  of  her  death  she  whispered  to  her 
deliverer  as  he  bent  over  her,  “ Mr.  Crittenton,  I ex- 
pect to  see  little  Florence  to-night  and  I’ll  tell  her  and 
Jesus  all  about  you  and  Florence  Mission  where  I 
was  saved.”  Then  she  faintly  whispered  ‘‘Jesus, 
precious  Jesus;  I love  Jesus  and  Jesus  loves  me. 
Hallelujah.”  These  were  her  last  words,  her  face  lit 
up  as  she  seemed  to  catch  a glimpse  of  the  King  in 
his  beauty,  and,  with  a shout  of  ‘‘Hallelujah,”  the 
spirit  of  the  once  poor,  despised  Magdalene  took  its 
flight  to  the  bright  mansions  of  whose  possession 
she  had  been  so  sure. 

At  her  funeral  many  Christain  workers  and  friends 
gathered  to  do  honor  to  her  remains.  Many  who 
had  been  won  to  Christ  by  her  testimony  were  among 
the  mourners,  and  not  a few  who  still  lived  in  sin  and 
shame,  but  who  loved  her  who  had  so  often  entreated 
them  to  turn  and  live,  came  to  look  on  that  pale  face. 

On  the  coffin  plate  was  engraved  ; 

E M 

Aged  29  Years, 

Died,  March  i6th,  1885. 

Lovingly  the  body  was  carried  to  Maple  Grove  Ceme- 
tery Long  Island  where  this  ‘‘  Brother  of  Girls”  has 
consecrated  a Florence  Crittenton  Mission  plot  where 
all  who  die  in  the  Mission  may  have  Christian  burial. 
In  this  sacred  spot  the  very  birds  seem  to  sing  so 


150  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 

softly  over  the  grass-grown  graves  of  these  who  have 
been  so  “tempest-tossed  and  not  comforted” — “the 
wicked  cease  from  troubling,  the  weary  be  at  rest,” 
and  the  breath  of  the  swaying  leaves  rustling  in  the 
wind  echo  in  reverent  gladness  “ and  God  shall  wipe 
away  all  tears  from  their  eyes.” 

Only  one  more  story,  though  all  these  might  be 
multiplied  by  the  thousand,  for  lessening  space  calls 
a halt.  Annie  Gray,  her  father  and  mother  of  good 
families,  but  from  being  a moderate  drinker  the  father 
became  one  of  our  army  of  six  hundred  thousand 
drunkards,  and  Annie  instead  of  being  allowed  to 
finish  her  education  and  given  some  self-supporting 
profession,  was  forced  out  to  earn  bread  for  herself  and 
mother  and  little  ones.  She  applied  for  a position  in 
a great  store  owned  by  a millionaire,  who  was  also  a 
Christian — I beg  pardon,  a church  member — who 
occupied  the  highest-priced  pew  and  paid  largely  to 
foreign  and  home  missions.  She  secured  the  place, 
but  when  told  that  the  wages  would  be  only  four 
dollars  per  week,  she  said,“  But  I can  hardl}^  pa}’-  my 
board  on  that.  What  shall  I do  for  my  clothes.” 
“ Oh  some  friend  will  provide  those  for  you,  you  are  a 
good-looking  girl  ” and  the  leer  that  accompanied  the 
words  showed  that  he  was  willing  to  be  the  friend. 
However,  she  was  starving,  and  so  was  mother  and  the 
children — “for  papa  drinks  you  know” — and  she 
must  do  something.  A fellow  clerk  saw  the  pretty  girl 
and  fell  in  love  with  her,  and  honorable  marriage 
was  proposed  and  accepted.  She  loved  him  madly. 
He  insisted  on  lending  her  money  needed  for  clothing 
and  the  sick  mother,  and  this  financial  obligation  was 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  151 

the  net  which  proved  her  ruin.  He  did  not  intend 
harm  to  this  fair  young  girl,  but  he  was  a moderate 
drinker  and  under  the  influence  of  this  alcoholic 
poison  which  makes  men  into  demons,  he  drugged 
her  coffee  one  evening  as  he  took  her  to  a restaurant 
for  supper  and  when  she  awakened  she  was  a Pariah. 
Then  by  promise  of  speedy  marriage  if  she  consented 
to  further  sin,  and  being  branded  as  a fallen  woman  if 
she  did  not,  with  the  alternative  of  a life  on  the  streets, 
and  yet  trusting  this  man  whom  she  still  loved  would 
repair  the  foul  wrong  he  was  doing  her,  in  an  agony 
of  hoping  despair  she  yielded.  It  is  the  old,  old  story 
enacted  every  day  of  the  year  in  our  large  cities. 

The  man  who  vowed  in  the  name  of  God  that  he 
would  marry  her,  lured  her  to  a house  of  infamy 
where  he  sold  her  to  the  brothel-keeper,  and  where 
she  was  kept  locked  in  as  a prisoner  and  a slave. 
Here  the  drink  was  plied  constantly,  so  that  she 
answered  truthfully  a Mission-worker,  who  asked, 
“What  do  you  girls  think  when  you  come  to  your 
sober  senses?’’  “Sober  senses  I Why  madam,  we 
never  have  any  sober  senses.  We’re  always  drunk, 
we  never  could  stand  this  life  if  we  did  n’t  drink.’’ 

By-and-by  consumption  laid  its  ghastly  hand 
upon  her,  and  when  the  Mission  visitor  said,  ‘ ‘ Dear 
child  1 how  long  have  you  been  so  sick?’’  tears 
gushed  from  her  eyes  at  this  word  of  kindness, 
as  she  gaspingly  said,  “Oh,  ever  since  that  great 
political  convention,  when  I had  so  much  to  do,  I’ve 
been  so  ill  and  I wish  I could  get  away  and  die. 
Everybody  knows  that  was  not  a Prohibition  party 
convention.’’  The  keeper  of  the  house  said,  “ Yes  ! 


152 


thk  traffic  in  girts. 


I wish  you  would  take  her  away,  she’s  so  sick, 
she’s  no  good  to  us  any  more.” 

‘‘Will  you  come  with  me,  dear,  to  the  Florence 
Crittenton  Mission?”  ‘‘Oh!  so  gladly,”  the  poor 
creature  said. 

Then  the  keeper,  this  h3'^ena  in  human  form,  inter- 
rupted, “ Not  much,  you  won’t  take  her,  till  you  pay 
me  the  six  dollars  she  owes  me,  or  she  earns  it.” 

Sick  at  heart  the  Mission-worker  went  out,  and 
taking  a dollar  out  of  her  own  hard  earnings,  started 
the  fund  to  buy  this  white  slave — somebody' s Utile  girl 
— and  the  monej"  was  raised,  and  the  poor  wrecked 
child  is  ending  her  short  life  on  a bed  of  pain  in 
the  Florence  Mission. 

She  is  only  one  of  thousands  ! Whose  fault  is  it 
they  are  victims  in  this  awful  life  of  sin  ? The  fault  of 
the  father  who  drinks  and  robs  his  child  of  a self-sup- 
porting education  ! The  fault  of  the  employers,  who 
grind  these  girls  down  to  starvation  wages,  and  therebj'' 
to  sin,  and  whose  gold  is  smeared  with  their  blood  and 
blistered  with  their  tears,  and  upon  whom  rests  the 
curse  of  Almighty  God  for  oppressing  the  poor  ! The 
fault  of  the  seducer,  whose  hell  has  onlj^  commenced, 
whose  detestable  crime,  worse  than  murder,  God’s 
wrath  will  follow  in  unerring  vengeance  1 The  brothel- 
keeper  and  her  foul  patrons — those  men  who  would 
cast  a girl  into  hell  with  as  little  thought  as  they 
would  shoot  a rat,  but  who  must,  before  the  bar  of  a 
just  God,  “give  an  account  of  the  deeds  done  in  the 
body,”  and  whose  fate  Jehovah  justly  decrees  shall 
be  “the  lake  which  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone  ; 
which  is  the  second  death.”  Societj",  and  even  so- 


FI,ORKNCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 53 

called  Christian  society,  that  ostracizes  the  victim, 
and  forces  her  to  sell  her  womanhood  for  bread 
while  they  give  their  best  friendship  to  her  black- 
hearted seducer,  and  above  all  the  saloon-keepers  who 
sell  the  devilish  poison,  alcohol,  that  causes  men  to 
forget  everything  in  their  unholy  passions,  and  their 
partners  in  business,  the  voters,  and  alas  ! the  Christian 
voters  who  license  their  hellish  traffic.  Every  man 
who  votes  for  license  of  the  saloon,  high  or  low,  votes 
to  send  thousands  of  girls  to  the  horrors  of  the  brothel, 
and  young  men  to  haunts  of  shame,  and  prisons  and 
insane  asylums.  Should  they  complain  if  their  own 
beloved  ones  are  the  victims,  as  the  man  told  of  who 
was  only  kept  from  ravishing  a lovely  young  girl  be- 
cause she  was  his  own  daughter  ? Surely  that  man  real- 
ized — as  has  many  a man  who  voted  for  the  saloon 
and  the  brothel  that  he  knew  would  make  drunkards 
and  prostitutes  of  somebody’s  children,  and  found 
among  them  his  own  precious  son  and  daughter — 
that  “the  Lord  is  known  by  the  judgment  which  he 
executeth  ; the  wicked  is  snared  in  the  work  of  his 
own  hands.’’ 

How  can  any  Christian  man  expect  to  be  happy  in 
heaven  when  his  vote  for  the  saloon  is  sending  thou- 
sands of  precious  girls  and  boys  to  hell  through 
the  brothels.  Their  blood  will  be  required  at  his 
hand. 

Surely  the  voice  of  God  comes  to  each  one  as  he 
votes.  “Whatsoever  thou  doest,  do  all  to  the  glory 
of  God,’’  and  does  any  Christian  man  say  it  is  voting 
for  the  glory  of  God  when  he  votes  to  license  the 
saloon,  which,  intrenched  in  national  legislation,  is 


154 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


making  prostitutes  of  our  fairest  girls  by  the  hun- 
dred thousand,  for  these  Christian  men  well  know 
“ Drunkenness  is  the  mother  of  harlots.”  Let  every 
man  ask  himself  on  election  morning,  would  Jesus 
vote  for  the  saloon  and  the  brothel  ? If  Christian 
men  would  vote  as  they  pray,  their  4,000,000  votes 
would  outlaw  the  saloon  in  one  election.  God  is 
watching  the  ballots  as  they  drop  into  the  box,  and 
as  He  sees  boys  and  girls  transformed  by  the  saloons 
into  monsters  of  wickedness  by  the  edict  of  Chris- 
tian men,  He  must  surely  say  again,  as  in  the  words 
of  Jeremiah,  ‘‘Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts 
. . . . how  shall  I do  for  the  daughters  of  my 

people?  Shall  I not  visit  them  for  these  things? 
Shall  not  my  soul  be  avenged  on  such  a nation  as 
this?”  ‘‘Woe  to  him  that  giveth  his  neighbor 
drink,  that  puttest  thy  bottle  to  him  and  makest  him 
drunken.”  ‘‘  Woe  to  him  that  buildeth  a town  with 
blood  and  establisheth  a city  by  iniquity.” 


Hetteris  jFrom  4Florence  (Enttenton  Mis- 
sion €Jirls. 

The  Testimony  of  the  Rescued  Ones. 


Berkshire,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  20. 

R.  CRITTENTON,  Dear  Friend:— 
Just  one  year  ago  this  evening  I came 
to  the  Saviour  in  the  parlor  of  the 
Florence  Mission.  Since  then  I have 
been  kept  and  upheld  by  faith,  and  to- 
night I can  say  from  my  heart,  “ Praise  the 
Lord,  O my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me, 
bless  His  holy  name.”  I have  been  blessed  in  so 
many  ways  I cannot  begin  to  tell  them  all.  Each  day 
I am  blessed  by  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  I 
have  so  much  to  be  thankful  for.  I have  now  one  of 
the  best  husbands  ever  a woman  had,  and  I bless  God 
that  three  weeks  ago  last  Sunday  evening,  he  too 
started  out  to  serve  the  Master.  My  soul  rejoices, 
for  in  this,  I see  a direct  answer  to  my  prayers. 

Oh,  how  I would  like  to  step  into  your  meeting 
this  evening  and  join  in  the  songs  of  praise  with  you. 
How  I would  love  to  add  my  testimony  on  this,  my 
anniversary,  to  the  many  that  will  be  given  to  the 
good  cause.  It  would  give  some  one  strength  or 

155 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


156 

encouragement.  Just  think  of  what  the  dear  Lord 
has  done  for  me  in  one  short  year  I I was  far,  very 
far  from  His  dear  footstool  ; a poor  wanderer  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  trying  to  serve  the  Evil  One  in  everj^- 
thing.  All  the  time  was  in  a troubled  state  of 
mind  because  I was  walking  in  the  dowmward  path. 
But  on  the  20th  of  September,  one  year  ago  to-night, 
I was  snatched  as  a brand  from  the  burning,  and 
since  then  I live  for  God  and  His  cause,  trying  to 
serve  Him  in  all  my  outgoings  and  incomings,  and  as 
long  as  I am  left  on  this  earth,  will  I proclaim  His 
loving  kindness. 

I hope  some  of  the  converts  wnth  you  this  evening 
will  remember  me  and  be  pleased  to  know  that  I am 
still  in  the  service  of  God.  How  I do  regret  not 
starting  before.  How  many  times  I think  of  the 
wasted  life,  the  remains  of  which  I offered  to  the  Lord. 
But  this  is  all  a vain  regret.  He  did  not  refuse  my 
poor  offering,  but  took  me  just  as  I w'as  and  washed 
me  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  My  language  is 
not  sufficiently  expressive  to  paint  m5^  feelings,  but  if 
I could  see  you,  may  be  I could  tell  you  better. 

The  only  thing  I can  say  more  is,  tell  all  the  new 
beginners  to  stick  to  the  only  safe  way,  walk  in  the 
light  and  look  to  Jesus  for  help.  Go  to  him  with 
every  trouble,  tell  Him  everything,  His  ear  is  ever 
open  to  our  petitions,  and  He  is  ever  read}^  to  help  us 
over  the  rough  paths  of  our  jourue}^  if  we  only  h’ust 
Him. 

With  kind  regards  and  a request  that  I be  remem- 
bered in  your  prayers,  that  I may  ever  be  faithful  and 
press  on  to  claim  the  reward  of  the  faithful,  and  also 


Florence;  criftenton  missions.  157 

that  you  will  pray  for  my  dear  husband  that  he  may 
be  steadfast  to  the  end,  I am, 

Ever  yours  in  faith, 

Mrs.  Harriet  K.  Spencer. 

* * 

New  York,  March  24,  1890. 

Dear  Friend  and  Brother  in  Christ  : — 
Yours  of  the  i8th  inst.  received.  It  was  very  welcome 
for  I thought  you  must  be  sick  when  you  did  not 
write.  I wrote  two  letters  the  other  day  {^via  Eon- 
don)  since  receiving  yours  from  Cairo,  Egypt.  I 
hope  you  will  get  them,  for  one  was  a long  letter 
about  Christmas  at  the  Mission.  I met  a friend  at  the 
Mission  who  said  that  you  were  very  ill,  but  you 
see  God  will  fulfill  all  His  promises  if  we  will  obey  the 
conditions.  Psalm  41  : i,  2,  3 : “ Blessed  is  he  that 

considereth  the  poor,  the  Lord  will  deliver  him  in 
time  of  trouble.  The  Ford  will  preserve  him  and 
keep  him  alive  ; and  he  shall  be  blessed  upon  the 
earth  ; and  thou  will  not  deliver  him  unto  the  will 
of  his  enemies.  The  Lord  will  strengtlmi  him  upon 
the  bed  of  latiguishmg  : thou  will  make  all  his  bed  in 
his  sickness.” 

And  now  you  are  well  and  ready  for  work.  Bless 
the  Lord  and  may  He  give  you  grace  to  be  successful 
far  beyond  your  expectations.  May  you  truly  please 
Him  and  may  He  continually  pour  upon  you  the  dew 
of  His  blessing  and  the  burning  fire  of  His  spirit. 
Then  with  the  sword  of  the  spirit  and  His  word, 
which  is  mightier  than  a two-edged  sword,  you  must 
succeed. 


158  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

Do  you  remember  how  one  year  ago  you  said  jmu 
felt  God  was  leading  you  in  that  direction,  but  I don’t 
think  you  ever  dreamed  He  would  give  you  such  a 
glorious  opportunity,  as  He  is  now  to  broaden  out 
and  make  “the  Florence’’  the  center  of  a great  net- 
work of  homes  for  the  unfortimate,  foolish  girls,  not 
bad  at  heart,  but  oh,  so  easily  led, 

I feel  especially  drawn  to  those  who  have  been  un- 
fortunate through  love.  It  does  not  seem  possible  to 
prevent  the  first  step  but  I would  love  to  be  the  in- 
strument in  God’s  hand  to  prevent  the  second  or  the 
awful  condition  we  sometimes  see.  It  is  a class  you 
seldom  see  for  they  do  not  come  for  relief  till  they  are 
utterly  helpless.  But  with  God  all  things  are  possi- 
ble. He  has  done  impossible  things  for  me.  He 
makes  me  meet  people  in  trains  and  everywhere  that 
are  just  ready  for  a word  from  God,  and  it  makes  me 
so  happy.  But  you  can’t  explain  the  happiness  that 
comes  from  giving  a soul  some  of  your  oil  or  light, 
and  the  best  of  it  is,  the  more  you  give  awa5%  the 
brighter  your  own  lamp  burns.  Now  who  can  explain 
such  things  but  God  ! 

I am  indeed  praying  for  you  constantl3'.  I am 
going  back  and  back  into  the  simple  faith  of  my 
childhood  when  I asked  God  for  the  toys  I pla3"ed 
with.  I remember  once,  when  I was  but  nine  3'ears 
old,  getting  down  on  m3^  knees  before  a number  of 
spectators  and  saying  to  my  sister,  “ Let’s  ask  God  to 
put  the  fire  out  next  door.’’  The  smoke  was  rushing 
into  the  room  where  we  were,  but  we  didn’t  think  of 
running  away  from  danger.  We  had  the  faith  of  a 
little  child  in  its  father.  Just  like  m3'  little  two-3'ear- 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 59 

old  nephew  says  when  he  gets  into  his  father’s  arms, 
“Jack  Frost  tan’t  bite  me  when  papa’s  dot  me.’’  So 
with  us  the  world  can’t  singe  us  when  the  Father  has 
us  in  His  loving  arms.  But  we  must  go  to  Him  when 
He  says  “Come.”  I am  so  glad  I’m  anchored,  and 
I’m  so  happy  in  Jesus. 

Tuesday  night,  March  4,  was  my  anniversary,  so 
I went  down  to  the  dear  old  “ Florence  ” to  celebrate 
my  first  year  of  complete  freedom.  Glory  ! Glory  ! 

“Jimmy  ” led  the  meeting,  which  was  a good  one. 
I got  a great  deal  of  strength  from  a prayer  I made 
aloud  at  Charlotte’s  request  in  the  inquiry  meeting. 
One  there  said  that  he  had  lost  a baby  that  he  had 
named  Florence  because  he  had  received  so  much 
good  at  Florence  Mission.  He  had  hoped  that  she 
would  live  to  do  much  good  for  the  Master,  but 
although  the  Ford  took  her  at  seven  months  of  age 
she  had  been  the  means  of  saving  his  wife  who  was 
not  a Christian  and  of  drawing  him  nearer  to  God. 
See  what  God  can  do  with  eveti  a little  infant ! Would 
any  one  believe  that  a child  that  could n' t speak  would 
turn  its  mother' s hearty  bless  its  father  atid  go  up  to 
fesus,  all  through  Florejice  Mission  ! Blessed  be  His 
Name.  He  works  in  wonderful  ways,  and  how  little 
our  faith  is  at  times.  • 

I could  write  all  night  and  I could  not  tell  you  all 
God’s  goodness  to  me. 

Yours,  in  Christian  fellowship, 

Lizzie  J. 


l6o  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

New  York  City,  April  5,  1889. 

My  Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  : — To-day  as  I think 
of  you,  sailing  for  Europe,  my  heart  fills  with  grati- 
tude. To  you  who  pointed  me  to  a loving  Saviour. 
To  you  who  taught  me  the  right  from  the  wrong. 
To  you  who  for  years,  on  land  and  at  sea,  at  home 
and  abroad,  when  my  feet  were  in  the  paths  of  sin, 
prayed  daily  for  my  lost  and  erring  soul,  and  tired  not 
until  you  saw  me  at  Jesus'  feet.  And  now,  as  you  are 
about  to  sail  for  distant  lands,  I want  you  to  feel  and 
know  that  you  leave  behind  you,  not  as  before,  poor 

lost  Nellie  Gilroy,  but  the  happy  redeeyned  E 

R whose  prayers  will  daily  and  hourly  go  up 

to  God  to  save,  protect  and  restore  you  to  us  again, 
well  in  mind,  strengthened  in  body  and  filled  more 
with  the  precious  love  of  God. 

The  only  return  I can  make  to  you  for  the  fatherly 
interest  you  have  taken  in  me,  is  to  resolve  to  so  live 
and  act,  that  no  matter  what  it  pleases  God  to  place 
in  my  pathway,  it  shall  be  only  the  means  of 
strengthening  my  faith,  and  teaching  me  to  live  closer 
to  the  dear  Saviour  who  shed  His  life’s  blood  for  me. 
Yes,  dear  Mr.  Crittenton,  wherever  you  may  be  and 
whenever  my  name  comes  to  your  mind,  I want  5'ou 
to  take  up  this  little  note  and  feel  that  trul)^  God 
(although  sometimes  to  our  mind  He  waits  a long 
time)  always  answers  honest  prayer,  and  that  across 
the  deep  blue  ocean,  there  is  one  happy,  thrice  happ}", 
little  woman,  whose  salvation  will  make  one  of  the 
many  stars  that  will  shine  in  your  coronet  in  the  last 
great  day,  and  who  will  count  the  hours  for  j'our 
return  ; and  should  it  be  God’s  will  that  she  meet  you 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  l6l 

no  more  on  earth,  her  life  will  so  be  spent  that  she 
will  clasp  hands  with  you  and  stand  at  your  side  and 
join  with  you  in  the  glad  Hallelujah  that  will  rend 
the  skies  when  the  joyous  command  sounds,  “Enter 
thou  into  the  joys  prepared  for  you  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.’’ 

Your  little  sister  in  Jesus, 

E R . 

^ ^ 'K 

I.  H.  N.  Christian  Workers’  Home, 

129  East  Tenth  St., 

New  York  City,  Sept,  ii,  1889. 

Mr.  CriTTEnTon,  Dear  Brother  and  Friend : — 
Once  more  I will  try  in  my  feeble  way  to  bear  testi- 
mony to  the  great  goodness  of  God  to  me. 

He  is  wonderfully  blessing  and  keeping  and  using 
me.  I cannot  tell  you  how,  but  each  step  of  the  way 
He  guides  me.  I know  no  will  but  the  will  of  my 
Father.  Oh,  what  a grand  way  to  live,  to  know  and 
feel  that  each  moment  of  the  life  He  gave  me,  is 
devoted  to  His  service,  all  for  love  of  Him  and  through 
His  love  He  brought  it  all  about,  for  He  so  loved  me 
that  He  died  to  save  me.  Oh,  how  He  loves  ! 

I am  perfectly  content  in  my  new  life.  I never 
think  of  the  old  except  to  thank  God  for  His  wonder- 
ful love  in  “saving  a rebel  like  me,’’  and  whenever 
I think  upon  the  old  life  it  is  to  ask  God  to  send  me 
out  to  those  in  that  old,  dark  path  that  leads  down  to 
death  everlasting,  with  a message.  I pray  to  be  the 
bearer  of  tidings  of  great  joy  to  those  I see  leading 
the  life  of  sin  and  not  thinking  of  what  is  to  become 


i62 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


of  them.  Oh,  will  you  pray  that  I may  be  made  very 
useful  in  bringing  souls  to  the  foot  of  the  Cross.  I 
see  every  day  that  the  dear  Lord  takes  each  one  of  us 
at  our  word.  I am  willing  to  live  up  to  the  agree- 
ment I made  with  Him  that  I would  do  anything  He 
asked  me  to  do  for  His  cause,  and  I find  I am  most 
wonderfully  blessed  in  so  doing.  He  keeps  me  in  the 
way  so  straight  and  narrow  and  feeds  me  on  His  love 
so  sweet.  Truly,  I can  say,  “ The  Lord  is  my  Shep- 
herd, I shall  not  want.”  Oh,  how  He  loves  ! 

Just  think,  it  is  not  three  years  till  September  20th, 
since  He  spoke  peace  to  my  weary,  sin-sick  soul,  and 
to-day  I can  truly  sajL 

“ His  yoke  is  easy.  His  burden  is  light, 

I’ve  found  it  so,  I’ve  found  it  so  ; 

He  leadeth  me  by  day  and  by  night 
Where  limng  waters  flow.” 

I had  occasion  to  call  at  Florence  Mission  last 
week  and  I was  struck  by  the  spirit  of  love  and 
prayer  that  seemed  to  pervade  the  ver}"  atmosphere 
of  the  house,  and  as  one  after  another  of  the  girls 
came  through  the  room,  many  of  whom  were  strangers 
to  me,  I received  a return  to  my  cheery'  ” good-morn- 
ing ” that  made  my  soul  sing  in  ecstasy,  and  as  one 
dear  girl  who  has  been  in  the  Florence  sometime, 

came  to  me,  saying,  ‘ ‘ Oh,  H •,  we  all  prayed 

for  you  this  morning,”  I could  only  say',  ‘‘Thank 
God,  we  are  both  on  praying  ground  and  interceding 
terms  with  Him.”  The  dear  girl  then  said  they'  had 
a grand  time  at  morning  prayers.  They',  every  one, 
consecrated  themselves  to  the  work  and  promised  to 
do  just  what  the  Lord  wanted  them  to  do,  and  they 


fi^orence;  crittenton  missions.  163 

believed  that  God  did  accept  them.  Oh,  I know  you 
would  like  to  have  been  present  on  that  occasion  and 
every  one  felt  that  you  were  praying  for  them  and 
that  you  would  have  been  so  very  much  pleased  to 
know  that  they  were  taking  that  step. 

I believe  the  dear  Lord  is  preparing  me  for  a life 
of  active  work  in  His  vineyard  and  I cannot  thank 
Him  often  enough  for  His  wonderful  dealings  with 
me.  I am  amazed  when  I ponder  upon  it.  But 

'•  He  moves  in  a mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform.” 

I know  He  saves  and  keeps  me.  He  saves  from 
the  uttermost  to  the  uttermost  and  I know  He  sancti- 
fies me  and  keeps  me  pure  and  clean.  Praise  His 
holy  name  ! 

I am  your  sister  in  Christ, 

H E.  B . 

^ 

T , N.  Y.,  August  31,  1890. 

Dear  Brother  Crittenton  ; — Your  kind  and 
long-looked-for  letter  reached  me  yesterday.  I firmly 
believe  that  God  meant  to  have  it  delayed,  so  as  to  give 
me  the  pleasure  of  receiving  it  on  the  very  anniver- 
sary of  my  sixth  Christian  birthday,  for  just  six  years 
ago  this  very  night  I was  born  anew  into  the  King- 
dom of  God.  Bless  the  Lord  ! 

I was  just  feeling  a shade  sad,  knowing  there 
would  be  no  prospect  of  leaving  my  patients  to  go 
down  home  -to  the  Florence  Mission — to  add  my 
testimony  to  the  rest,  so  I sent  it  by  letter  to  Brother 
Sketchley,  who  I know  will  give  it  for  me. 


164 


THE  TRAFFIC  IX  GIRLS. 


No,  dear  brother,  since  I have  entered  the  work  of 
nursing  I rarely  have  a chance  to  attend  Brother 
Hatch’s  Bible  class,  and  I miss  it  very  much  as  I 
alwa5^s  found  it  verj"  helpful  to  me. 

I must  tell  3mu  that  at  the  beginning  of  this  5-ear 
I made  up  m5^  mind  that  I would  give  m5'self  up 
wholly  to  the  Lord,  and  give  up  anything  that  might 
in  an5^  wa5-  hinder,  and  just  work  for  Him  in  whatso- 
ever way  He  would  see  fit.  I felt  that  in  the  wa5'  one 
of  the  girls  was  livdng,  it  was  wrong  in  me  to  make  a 
companion  of  her  as  I had  done  in  the  past,  so  New- 
Year’s  day  decided  it.  I told  her  of  what  I had  done 
and  begged  her  to  do  the  same.  But  she  said  she 
could  not  just  then.  So  that  decided  the  matter.  I 
went  to  the  Hospital,  which  place,  I think,  was  sent 
me  in  direct  answer  to  pra5-er.  I take  charge  of  the 
upper  Female  Ward  of  the  “ House  of  Rest.”  The 
superintendent  told  me  the}-  would  start  me  at 
fifteen  dollars  per  month,  and  advance  me  as  I proved 
m}-self  worth}-,  because  they  felt  a little  doubtful 
regarding  my  age,  as  all  the  other  nurses  are  over 
twenty -five  years  of  age.  I have  been  here  six  weeks 
and  like  my  work  very  much,  although  it  keeps  me 
going  day  and  night,  the  nights  being  so  much 
harder  on  the  consumptives.  I have  eleven  patients 
in  my  ward,  five  of  whom  are  unable  to  do  anything 
for  themselves.  It  makes  me  feel  so  sad  to  see  so 
many  dear  girls  after  having  lived  a life  of  ever}-  kind 
of  vice  and  sin,  come  in  here  to  die,  and  then  watch 
them  fighting  against  death. 

One  poor  girl  from  the  ‘‘Faith  Home,”  came 
here  in  April,  after  ten  years  spent  in  the  deml’s 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  165 

service.  She  had  neither  seen  nor  heard  from  her 
folks  within  that  time  till  they  found  her  here,  dying. 
I shall  never  forget  the  scene.  When  just  on  the 
verge  of  death,  she  grew  delirious  and  raved  and  sang 
all  night.  She  was  a beautiful  singer.  I shall  never 
hear  any  one  sing  “ A Little  Talk  with  Jesus”  with- 
out thinking  of  her.  She  would  then  cry  out,  ‘‘0, 
Jesus,  take  me  ! Make  this  devil  let  go  of  me,  I’m 
in  bondage.”  Finally,  she  was  sent  to  the  Insane 
Pavilion  in  Bellevue,  where  she  drew  her  last  breath. 

Another  one,  a beautiful  girl  who  had  not  seen  or 
heard  from  her  folks  in  eight  years,  who  are  very 
well-to-do  people,  came  here  three  weeks  ago.  Fver 
since,  she  had  been  sinking  fast  and  died  this  morning. 
Another  sight  never  to  be  forgotten.  A poor  gray- 
haired father  and  mother  broken-hearted,  and  a 
brother  racked  with  sorrow  stood  around  the  bed  of 
the  dying  girl  praying  for  God  to  forgive  the  past. 
As  she  was  dying  she  said,  ‘ ‘ O help  me  ! Everything 
is  so  dark  around  me.”  Truly,  ” the  wages  of  sin  is 
death.” 

Still  another  came  in  yesterday  on  the  verge  of 
the  deliriuvt  tremens,  but  with  good  care  she  is  much 
better  to-day. 

I tell  you,  my  dear  brother,  the  Lord  has  cer- 
tainly kept  me  as  it  were  by  a miracle.  I tremble  as 
I think  of  what  and  where  I might  have  been,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  timely  rescue  of  the  dear  Florence 
Mission ! When  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  I too  was 
walking  the  streets  of  New  York,  not  knowing  where 
to  go  or  what  to  do.  Had  it  not  been  then  that  the 
doors  of  this  dear  home  were  open  to  me  through 


1 66  THE  traffic  in  GIRLS. 

your  kindly  influence,  and  that  there  I learned  the 
way  to  Heaven,  a like  fate  might  have  overtaken  me. 
This  thought  makes  me  very  patient  and  attentive  to 
the  wants  of  these  dear  girls  in  the  last  few  days  of 
their  lives,  and  with  God’s  help  I mean  to  keep  on  in 
His  service  doing  the  little  things  “ in  His  name.” 

Now  I did  not  mean  to  give  you  quite  so  long  an 
account,  but  then  I felt  that  you  might  be  interested 
to  hear  it.  I know  you  are  very  busy  but  I always 
feel  like  telling  you  all  that  concerns  me,  just  as  I 
would  a father,  if  I had  one. 

I am  so  glad  to  hear  of  your  success  in  your  work 
in  the  West,  and  my  prayer  for  you  every  da}'  is  that 
the  Lord  will  bless  you  abundantly  in  every  good 
word  and  work  that  you  set  forth  in  His  service. 

By  the  way,  I must  tell  you,  dear  friend,  that  the 
Chaplain  started  for  a trip  to  Europe  shortly  after 
I came.  Having  made  it  a point  to  attend  the 
Patients’  service  every  evening,  it  seems  he  was  at- 
tracted by  my  voice,  and  asked  me  if  I could  play  the 
organ.  I told  him  I could  play  simple  pieces.  He 
asked  me  to  try  a few  hymns,  which  went  very  well ; 
so  he  made  it  a settled  matter  that  I should  take 
charge  of  the  organ  and  the  singing  during  his  ab- 
sence, which  is  a great  help  to  me,  for  I always 
wanted  to  have  a chance  of  practicing,  even  if  I never 
did  have  the  chance  of  being  taught. 

The  patients  all  like  to  have  me  sing  some  of 
our  hymns ; so  you  see  that  the  Lord  has  really 
opened  a work  for  me  to  do  right  here.  Pray  for  me 
that  I may  make  it  a success,  and  that  in  another 
year’s  time  I can  look  back  and  say  that  I have  done 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 67 

more  for  tlie  Lord  this  year  than  I have  ever  done 
before. 

Write  whenever  you  can,  as  I shall  be  anxious  to 
hear  from  you.  A letter  from  you  always  seems  to 
do  me  good.  “ God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again.” 

T D . 

^ ^ ^ 

Florence  Mission, 

New  York,  March  27,  1890. 

Dear  Brother  Crittenton  : — I have  just 
attended  a meeting  at  dear  Florence  Mission,  the 
dearest  spot  on  earth  to  me  because  it  was  there 
I received  my  sight  and  had  my  sins  all  blotted 
out  and  was,  and  am  now,  washed  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb.  We  had  a good  meeting.  Mr.  Sketch- 
ley  led.  We  are  having  good  meetings  every  night, 
and  good  solid  work  done  in  the  after  meetings. 
Do  you  remember  Mabel,  a large  girl  who  wore 
glasses?  She  never  was  in  the  Mission  to  stay. 
You  have  pleaded  with  her  many  times.  She  is 
dying.  I have  been  to  see  her  in  the  hospital. 
May  Cornell  was  in  the  Mission  to-night.  She  is 
married  and  living  at  Flushing,  but  she  is  not  saved. 
She  told  me  to  write  and  ask  you  to  pray  for  her,  and 
she  promised  to  pray  for  herself,  that  she  might  give 
her  heart  to  God.  Then  there  is  another  girl  I want 
you  to  pray  for,  I don’t  know  her  name,  but  you 
know  her,  and  God  knows  her,  and  I am  going  to 
pray  for  her. 

Mr.  Crittenton,  there  is  another  “Jennie”  from 
Thirteenth  street  saved.  Glory  to  God.  She  was 


i68 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


saved  last  Sunday  night,  so  that  makes  three.  Jen- 
nie Little  is  doing  very  well,  and  has  been  in  our 
place  nearly  a 5^ear.  It  is  almost  three  years  since  I 
started.  That  makes  about  one  a year. 

Pray  for  “ Annie  Wagner.”  I was  talking  to  her 
one  night,  and  the  tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks  and 
she  was  very  much  interested. 

How  the  Lord  has  had  you  go  all  around  the 
world  for  Him,  just  like  a telegraph  boy,  giving  out 
His  word,  and  trying  to  interest  the  people  about  us 
poor  fallen  women  and  trying  to  open  homes  for  us. 

How  many  poor  sad  hearts  3’ou  have  been  the 
means  of  making  happy,  by  holding  up  the  light,  the 
banner  of  Jesus  to  us,  until  we  too,  are  telling  it  to 
others. 

We  saw  the  dog  that  used  to  get  into  bed  with 
you,  and  Mr,  Carpenter  said  it  had  a nose  like  yours. 
We  saw  the  chickens  that  laid  the  eggs  5'ou  ate.  We 
are  so  glad  you  are  so  near  home.  If  you  are  not 
coming  just  yet,  our  prayer  is  that  you  ma}^  be  able 
to  come  soon,  fully  restored  to  perfect  health,  to  work 
in  the  dear  Florence  Mission  for  many  years,  where 
there  is  such  grand  work  going  on. 

Mrs.  Freeman  is  doing  good  work  in  her  mission 
on  Thirt3^-first  street.  Think  of  it.  A converted 
keeper  of  a house  spending  all  her  time  and  mone5', 
and  the  Lord  is  using  her  ! The  Beulah  is  her  mis- 
sion. 

Good-by,  with  love  from  your  sister  in  Christ, 

Jennie. 


TABERNACLE,  BEULAH  PARK,  OAKLAND,  CALIFORNIA. 


S'LORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  169 

[We  give  also  one  letter  from  “ One  of  the  Boys.” 
may  it  check  other  young  men  in  their  downward 
career.] 

‘‘  HARVEST  OF  WIED  OATS.” 

“ God  is  not  mocked  : For  whatsoever  a man  soweth  that  shall  he  also 
reap.” — Gal.  vi,  7. 

Mr.  C.  N.  CrittenTon,  Dear  Sir : — I write  you, 
because  I am  afraid  I lack  the  moral  courage  to  come 
into  your  presence  and  tell  you  who  and  what  I am. 
You  have  traveled  much  ; you  have  seen  men  and 
women  in  every  depth  of  sin  ; look  back  over  your 
life,  remember  the  lowest  wretch  you  ever  met,  then 
look  lower ^ and  you  will  find  me. 

A little  more  than  a week  ago  I went  into  your 
meeting.  I don’t  know  why  I went,  but  I did.  I heard 
you  preach.  You  said,  ‘‘Jesus  would  save  any- 
body.” You  told  how  he  saved  all  kinds  of  people, 
even  fallen  women.  But  tell  me  ! Can  He  save  a 
man  who  caused  a woman  to  fall,  who  planned  and 
plotted  to  bring  about  her  ruin  and  then — O God  have 
mercy  on  me  ! — lived  off  the  earnings  of  her  shame. 

If  you  want  to  hear  a story  of  hell  on  earth,  listen 
to  me,  I won’t  keep  you  long.  Five  years  ago,  if  you 
had  looked  into  my  life,  you  would  have  said  it  was  a 
happy  one.  You  would  have  seen  a young  man  of 
twenty-seven,  with  bright  prospects  for  this  life,  with 
a wife  as  pure  and  good  as  an  angel,  and  two  little 
children.  We  were  members  of  the  Church,  and 
every  Sunday  took  our  little  ones  by  their  hands,  and 
brought  them  into  the  house  of  God.  ‘‘  We  will  try 
to  train  them  right,  so  they  will  grow  up  to  be  good 
men  like  you,  John,”  said  my  wife. 


1 70  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

You  ask  now  I can  speak  of  these  things  now,  and 
how  I have  the  courage  to  dare  to  mention  my  wife’s 
name,  and  the  holy  ties  that  bound  me  to  her  before 
heaven. 

Because  I must,  because  you  would  never  under- 
stand me  if  you  do  not  know  all  that  I have  done,  if 
you  could  not  see  how  much  deeper  is  my  degradation 
on  account  of  the  heights  from  which  I have  fallen. 
I could  never  look  you  in  the  face  and  say  it.  I must 
hide  behind  the  fact  that  you  are  absent,  that  I will 
not  be  there  to  see  the  look  of  withering  disgust  that 
your  manhood  will  bring  up,  in  spite  of  the  charity 
that  God  has  given  you. 

Five  years  ago  last  February  my  wife  invited  a 
friend  of  hers  to  spend  a few  da3'S  with  us.  She  came. 
Alas  ! she  had  better  never  have  been  born.  She 
came  to  her  ruin,  her  death,  her  everlasting  destruc- 
tion. 

Why  go  into  details  ? She  led  me  to  forget  every- 
thing, my  love  for  m}^  wife,  my  dutj’  as  a man  and  a 
Christian,  in  mj’-  mad  infatuation  for  her.  With  a 
purpose  unflagging  I went  to  work  to  bring  about  her 
destruction.  I told  her  that  I loved  her,  and  to  my 
great  joy  I found  she  loved  me.  Long  she  maintained 
her  integrit\L  her  puritjL  but  at  last  I became  her 
destroyer. 

We  went  together  to  San  Francisco,  calling  our- 
selves man  and  wife.  I could  not  get  any  work  at 
my  regular  business  (book-keeping)  so  shifted  about 
from  one  thing  to  another,  going  lower  and  lower 
at  every  change.  Both  of  us  began  to  drink,  and 
after  six  months  we  quarreled  and  sometimes  fought. 


PLORENCS;  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  17I 

I became  bar-keeper  in  a second-class  saloon.  Then 
for  a long  time  I was  out  of  work. 

One  day,  drunk  and  crazed  for  more  liquor,  she 
upbraided  me  for  not  supporting  her.  I told  her  she 
could  “provide  for  both  of  us.’’  She  took  me  at  my 
word,  and  went  into  deeper  degradation,  and  for  three 
years  I,  who  had  once  been  a man,  shared  the  money 
she  brought  from  her  sinful  life. 

Oh,  I can’t  write  it.  We  went  lower  and  lower. 
Many  a time,  when  she  had  nothing  to  give  me,  I 
would  curse  and  beat  her. 

One  night  last  May  a woman  came  into  the  saloon 
where  I was  playing  cards  with  others  of  my  class, 
and  said  “she  wanted  to  speak  to  me.’’  I went  to 
her.  She  said  “Sue  was  sick,  and  she  was  afraid 
she  had  taken  poison.  ’ ’ I went  to  her  ; she  lay  on  her 
bed  half  dressed,  writhing  in  agony,  but  cursing  at 
every  breath.  A doctor  came,  but  it  was  too  late. 
Ten  minutes  after  I first  saw  her,  she  lay  dead,  dead, 
with  her  awful  sin  written  on  her  face,  and  as  I looked 
at  her,  the  voice  of  my  old  self,  my  old  heart,  that  I 
thought  was  dead,  pointed  its  finger  at  me  and  said  : 
‘ ‘ Yotir  work.  ’ ’ 

I will  not  try  to  tell  you  what  I have  suffered 
since.  How  I have  seen  death  and  hell  before  me. 
How  I would  have  killed  myself  long  ago,  but  I had 
not  the  courage  to  do  so. 

Now  you  know  me,  you  know  a man  worse  than 
you  ever  dreamed  of.  Tell  me,  can  Christ  reach  down 
low  enough  to  reach  me  and  lift  me  upf  , Can  Jesus 
save  a man  who  murdered  a woman,  body  and  soul  ? 
A man  who  basely  deserted  the  tenderest  wife  and 


172 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


loveliest  children  in  the  world.  You  say,  “Believe, 
and  God  will  do  the  rest.”  But  will  my  believing 
take  that  soul  out  of  hell  and  put  it  where  it  would 
have  been,  but  for  me  ? Will  my  believing  heal  the 
broken  hearts  of  my  poor  wife  and  children  ? Won’t 
you  say  something  to  help  me  ? When  you  ask  those 
that  want  to  be  saved  to  stand  up,  I start  to  get  up, 
but  I always  see  her  face  as  I saw  it  that  night,  and 
realize  that  there  is  no  hope  for  me. 

I want  you  to  say  something  to  me ; I w^ant  you 
to  tell  me  something  to-morrow  night,  whether  you 
think  there  is  any  hope  for  me  ? You  can  say,  “The 
man  who  wrote  the  letter,”  or  j-ou  can  use  my  name. 
Nobody  here  knows  me. 

You  think  I am  a coward  not  to  come  to  you. 
So  I am,  and  you  would  not  wonder,  if  you  saw  my 
face,  as  I see  it  in  the  mirror,  with  “hell”  written 
all  over  it.  Just  say  there  is  a chance  for  me.  Tell 
me  what  I must  do,  and  I will  be  the  first  one  to 
stand  up  ; that  is,  may  be  I will,  I can’t  promise  any- 
thing. Can  I trust  you  to  speak  to  me  ? Speak  right 
out,  so  I will  understand.  If  3’ou  don’t  think  God 
can  go  down  to  anj^  one  so  low  as  I am,  saj'  so.  I 
don’t  believe  He  can,  because  I damned  a human 
soul. 

I will  be  there  early  to-morrow  night,  and  for 
God’s  sake  do  not  disappoint  me. 

(Signed)  John . 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


173 


Convalescents’  Home, 

433  East  118th  St.,  New  York. 

Mr.  CriTTEnTon,  My  Dear,  Kind  Friend : — Ever 
since  I was  removed  from  the  hospital  I have  been  too 
ill  to  write,  but  I do  want  to  see  you.  There  is  no 
definite  time  for  my  leaving  here  but  it  may  occur  at 
a moment’s  notice,  so  I wish  you  would  come  as  soon 
as  you  can. 

Until  I meet  you  I know  the  Lord  will  shed  the 
light  of  His  countenance  upon  you  and  bless  you  as 
I pray  He  may,  for  the  wonderful  manifestations  He 
has  given  through  me  of  what  your  great  work  can 
accomplish.  I want  to  tell  you  about  it  all  before  I 
go  home  and  am  seen  no  more.  I am  only  waiting 
until  He  calls  me  where  there  is  no  more  pain,  no 
more  parting.  Blessed  rest ! Happy  home  ! 

I could  write  on  but  I am  weak.  I will  not  apol- 
ogize for  the  manner  of  writing  for  I know  you  feel  it 
must  be  a task  for  me  to  write.  Again,  God  bless, 
keep  and  hold  you  up  as  He  does  all  His  children,  is 
the  prayer  of  one  who  has  been  saved  through  your 
Florence  Mission.  Annie  F.  Gaylord. 

March  12,  i88j. 

^ ^ ^ 


December  12,  1890. 

Dear  Brother  Crittenton  : — lam  sending  you 
a few  lines  to  thank  you  for  your  kindness  to  me. 
I am  learning  a good  business  and  one  that  will  pay. 
I was  sorry  to  hear  of  Brother  Carpenter’s  poor 
health.  I hope  he  will  soon  recover  and  do  plenty 
of  work  in  the  Master’s  vineyard.  There  is  need  of 


174 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


it  and  more  now  than  ever  before.  People  want 
something  that  they  can  take  with  them  in  every 
place — in  the  garret  or  palace,  business  or  the  home 
— and  we  want  it  in  our  lives  that  the  world  can  see 
that  Satan  has  no  power  over  us,  if  we  surrender  our- 
selves to  God  to  be  a living  witness  for  Him.  Glory 
to  His  name.  I can  never  thank  Him  enough  for 
what  He  has  done  for  me.  “ I would  rather  walk  in 
the  dark  with  Him  than  walk  alone  in  the  light.” 
I want  to  love  Him  more,  and  do  more  for  Him  here. 
Pray  for  me  that  I may  be  of  some  use.  Wishing 
you  a merry  Christmas  and  a happy  New-Year,  I re- 
main, Yours  sincerely, 

‘,‘1.  H.  N.”  Alice  Hapwood. 

5j; 

ONE  OF  GOD’S  WORKERS. 

Respectfully  Dedicated  to  Charles  N.  Crittenton. 

One  of  God’s  workers,  how  blest  is  the  name  ! 
Laboring  in  Christ’s  vineyard  ere  the  sun  wane  ; 
Striving  to  win  weary  wanderers  from  sin. 

Gather  them  in,  Christian,  gather  them  in. 

O,  may  the  good  Lord  bless  thee  alway, 

And  scatter  fair  flowers  on  thy  path  to-day. 

May  Christ  give  thee  strength  to  endure  every  hour 
The  toils  of  this  life  and  the  tempter’s  false  power. 

Dear  worker  in  Jesus,  toil  on  and  lead  all 
Who  would  come  to  the  Saviour,  who  heed  th}^  blest 
call ; 

My  brother,  in  fields  where  God’s  laborers  are  few. 
Toil  on,  there’s  a harvest  awaiting  for  you. 


Florence:  crittenton  missions.  175 

O may  our  Lord  bless  thee  and  give  thee  a right 
To  stand  ’mid  the  blest  in  pure  garments  of  white. 
To  enter  that  heaven  where  all  are  so  pure, 

And  in  those  blest  mansions  thy  joy  shall  endure. 

Dedicated  to  you  by  one  who  is  now  in  Florence 
Mission.  Respectfully, 

Jennie  Wells. 

^ ^ ^ 

Elizabeth,  December  2,  1884. 

Mr.  Crittenton,  Dear  When  I look 

back  and  count  the  mercies  of  God  to  me  since  I 
came  to  the  Florence  Mission,  I am  ashamed  of  my- 
self for  complaining  and  finding  fault  with  God 
because  I don’t  feel  well.  If  I had  my  just  deserts,  I 
might  be  filling  an  untimely  and  dishonored  grave. 
But  I am  redeemed,  saved  from  that  terrible  life  and 
eternal  death  which  I justly  deserved  and  would  cer- 
tainly be  reaping  only  for  Jesus.  Oh  praise  His  dear 
name  for  His  complete  salvation  in  life  and  death. 
While  I write  to  you  now  I can  see  and  feel  the  awful 
iiarrow  escape  I had  and  I shrink  with  horror  at  the 
sight  and  my  heart  swells  with  thanks  to  God  for 
His  timely  deliverance.  Some  Saturday  night  I am 
going  to  the  Florence  Mission  and  tell  the  people 
all  about  it  and  let  them  see  how  Jesus  can  save  and 
help.  Your  friend, 

Nellie  Conroy. 

^ sji 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  32  Howard  Street, 
December  18,  1880. 

My  Dear  Friend  and  Brother  in  Christ  : — 
Your  good  letter  I received  a long  time  ago.  It 


176  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

found  me  in  bed  ill,  and  I have  been  there  for  the 
most  part  ever  since.  I have  thought  so  much  of  you 
during  that  time,  and  it  has  worried  me  so  much  to 
think  that  I could  not  write  you  and  tell  you  thai"  I 
received  3"our  words  of  love  and  cheer. 

I must  tell  you  something  of  God’s  goodness  and 
mercy  to  me  during  this  illness  and  time  of  trial,  for  it 
has  been  a time  of  trial,  after  having  been  away  from 
the  busy  world  as  long  as  I was  at  the  insane  asylum, 
and  now,  when  free,  and  longing  so  to  do  something 
for  the  Master  in  that  particular  work  in  which  you 
and  I are  so  interested — that  of  going  out  into  the  by- 
ways and  broadways  which  lead  to  death,  and  with  our 
hearts  full  of  gratitude  to  Him  who  has  done  so  much 
for  us — trying  to  point  the  wandering  ones  and  lost 
ones  to  the  Saviour  who  “ died  to  save  them  from  their 
sins” — to  be  laid  aside. 

At  first  I am  afraid  it  was  a sore  trial,  but  Jiow, 
I can  see  that  it  was  one  of  the  richest  blessings  that 
ever  came  to  me.  ‘‘  Hallelujah,  what  a Saviour.” 
One  of  the  ladies  who  belongs  to  the  Board  of  Man- 
agers of  the  “House  of  Shelter,”  knowing  I was 
verj'  miserable,  came  up  to  see  me  one  afternoon,  and 
thought  if  she  could  only  get  me  ov’er  to  her  own 
home  and  “ mother”  me  for  a little  while,  I might  feel 
better.  Her  good  husband,  who  is  a physician,  Dr. 
Steinberg,  gave  me  some  medicine  which  he  thought 
would  help  me,  and  dear  Mrs.  Steinberg,  who  is  one 
of  the  Lord' s own,  put  mustard  piasters  and  various 
other  remedies  where  she  thought  thej"  would  do  the 
most  effective  work,  and  I went  to  bed.  That  was 
three  weeks  ago,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Steinberg  have 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  1 77 

nursed  me  through  a most  severe  illness  which  at  one 
time  threatened  to  prove  fatal. 

I know  your  heart  will  go  out  to  these  kind  friends 
who  so  beautifully  and  in  such  a Christlike  manner 
have  done  for  me  the  “ Inasmuch.”  ‘‘  I was  a stran- 
ger and  ye  took  me  in,”  and  I know  that  for  His  dear 
sake  they  took  me  in  and  ministered  unto  me. 

I have  learned  many  precious  lessons  on  my  sick- 
bed. I have  told  Him  all  my  doubts  and  griefs  and 
fears.  Oh  ! how  patiently  He  listened  ‘ ‘ and  my  droop- 
ing soul  he  cheered,”  and  He  reproved  me  too  and 
out  of  it  all  I can  say,  ‘‘ The  Lord’s  name  be  praised.” 

My  dear  friend  I have  spent  very  many  precious 
moments  in  prayer  for  you,  and  your  work  away  off 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  I have  told  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Steinberg  the  story  of  Florence  Mission  and  they  too 
have  borne  you  up  on  the  wings  of  prayer  and  faith. 
I know  of  six  persons  in  Albany  who  have  promised 
me  to  remember  you  and  your  labor  of  love  every 
day.  So  take  courage  in  the  midst  of  the  hard  work 
and  the  odds  which  you  are  fighting  against  and 
know  that  you  have  Christ’s  own  promise,  and  that 
cannot  fail.  It  is  as  it  always  is,  a comfort  for  me  to 
know  that  wherever  you  are  you  are  praying  for  me. 

‘‘Some  sweet  day  by-and-by  ” when  we  stand 
inside  the  pearly  gate  and  look  into  each  other’s 
faces,  Mr.  Crittenton,  I think  that  you  will  praise  Him 
that  ever  you  stood  with  me  that  night  so  many  years 
ago  on  the  corner  of  two  streets  in  New  York  City 
and  pointed  me  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  was  that 
night  I first  took  Him  to  help  me  bear  the  burdens 
which  along  with  my  sins  were  weighing  me  down, 


178 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRI^. 


down,  DOWN,  and  although  I have  made  many  mis- 
takes since  that  night,  it  was  not  He  that  willed 
it  should  be  so,  but  my  own  self,  for  I know  that  the 
dear  Lord  Christ  would  have  gathered  me  to  his  side 
and  kept  me  from  harm,  yet  I would  not.  But  to- 
night I stand  firm  in  the  strength  with  which  He 
strengtheneth  me,  and  I say  I will  die  before  I ever 
again  will  do  anything  that  I know  to  be  displeasing 
to  God.  “ Where  He  leads  I will  follow.”  If  it  be 
over  rough  places  I’ll  follow  Him  or  up  on  mountain 
heights,  or  deep  down  through  the  vallej^  or  through 
deep  waters,  anywhere  and  everywhere  I’ll  follow 
Him. 

I must  tell  you  the  good  times  the  girls  and  I 
have  singing  the  dear  old  hymns  which  I used  to  sing 
at  Florence  Mission.  There  I used  to  sing  for  Jesus, 
and  I hope  He  will  allow  me  again  to  sing  in  His 
service.  I sent  my  testimony  to  be  given  there.  Mr. 
Crittenton,  I would  esteem  it  the  highest  honor  that 
could  come  to  me  to  be  able  some  day  to  take  charge 
of  the  music  in  dear  Florence  Mission  or  in  some  of 
her  branches,  and  I consider  myself  one  of  her 
daughters. 

My  heart  is  very  full  as  I write  you.  I wish  you 
might  look  in  on  me  as  I sit  at  this  table  in  Mrs. 
Steinberg’s  “Sanctum  Sanctorum.”  The  Doctor 
sits  at  one  end  of  the  little  writing-table,  while  dear 
Mrs.  Steinberg  sits  at  the  other  trimming  a hat  for 
some  poor  girl  who  has  no  hat  to  wear,  and  I sit  be- 
tween writing  to  you  who  have  been  so  much  of  a 
father  and  friend  to  me  for  years,  when  I needed  just 
those  things  the  most,  and  very  often  our  Sister  Stein- 


florecne;  critentton  missions. 


179 


berg  will  say  so  lovingly,  “ Don’t  tire  yourself  dear,” 
and  love  reigns  supreme  in  this  little  Home  Kingdom 
and  over  us  all.  We,  near  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and 
you,  away  across  the  continent  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
can  sing  : 

“The  King  of  Love  our  Shepherd  is 
Whose  goodness  faileth  never, 

And  we  are  His  and  He  is  ours, 

Forever  and  forever.’’ 

‘ ‘ Hallelujah!  What  a Saviour.  ’ ’ 

You  ask  me  to  send  a testimony  that  you  can  use 
to  help  some  other  poor  wretched  outcast  girl  whose 
life  has  failure  written  all  over  it.  Well  I can  only 
say  that  ‘‘  God’s  arm  is  not  shortened  that  it  cannot 
save,”  and  if  He  could  lift  me  from  the  horrible  pit 
and  the  depths  of  miry  clay  into  which  I was  plunged 
and  sinking  down  deep.  He  can  help  any  07ie  up 
who  will  call  on  Him  for  help.  And  I have  always 
found  Him  such  a tender,  gentle,  loving  Friend,  one 
who  understood  me  and  was  always  ready  to  hear  even 
my  faintest  sigh,  and  to  help  me.  My  testimony  to- 
night is,  ‘ ‘ The  Lord  has  done  great  things  for  me, 
whereof  I am  glad,”  and  that 

“ I’ve  found  a friend  in  Jesus, 

Who  is  everything  to  me. 

In  sorrow  He’s  my  comfort. 

In  trouble  He’s  my  stay. 

He  tells  me  every  care  on  Him  to  roll. 

He’s  the  Eily  of  the  Valley, 

The  bright  and  morning-star. 

He’s  the  fairest  of  ten  thousand  to  my  soul,’’ 

and  I am  looking  forward  to  a life  of  service  to  Him, 
should  my  life  be  spared,  and  at  the  end  to  go  to  be 


l8o  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

with  Him  in  the  mansions  which  He  has  gone  to  pre- 
pare for  me  and  all  who  love  Him,  and  Minnie  Dean 
Moflfatt  expects  to  praise  Him  forever  and  forever, 
for  saving  a sinner  like  her.  Sure  enough,  m)'  sins 
have  been  many  and  my  failings  have  been  sore,  but 
glory  be  to  Jesus,  up  there  they’ll  never  vex  me  nor 
be  remembered  more,  for  His  blood  has  made  me  white 
and  His  hand  will  dry  my  eyes  when  He  takes  me 
Home  at  last  to  m}^  own  country.  I inclose  a letter 
from  my  foster  mother  dear  Mrs.  Steinberg. 

May  your  Christmas  be  a hallowed  joy  and  peace, 
is  the  earnest  prayer  of  one  of  your  girls  whom  you 
led  to  Christ. 

Minnie  Dean  Moffatt. 

^ ^ 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  19,  ’90. 

Mr.  C.  N.  CrittenTon,  Dear  Sir : — I can  scarcely 
realize  that  I am  indeed  addressing  one  of  whom  I 
had  so  often  heard  long  before  looking  upon  the  face 
of  our  dear  Dean,  but  since  I have  known  and  loved 
her  I have  heard  so  many  wonderful  things  about 
Mr.  Crittenton  and  the  “ Florence  ” and  the  hundreds 
of  weary  ones  rested,  sitting  at  Jesus’  feet,  clean 
through  His  blood,  that  I can  only  say  over  and  over, 
“ Bless  the  Lord,  O my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within 
me,  bless  His  holy  name.” 

Dean  has  been  very,  very  ill.  Many  an  anxious 
hour  have  I passed  at  her  bedside  the  past  weeks  and 
many  times  she  whispered  ” If  I go,  it  is  all  right.” 
Her  trust  in  her  heavenly  Father  has  been  so  beauti- 
ful and  entire,  and  now  that  again  she  is  looking 
toward  health,  it  is  with  the  great  desire  of  serving  in 


FI.ORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  l8l 

the  dear  old  way,  going  out  and  down  to  the  lost  and 
friendless  and  pointing  to  Jesus,  the  Friend  of  the 
friendless.  But  the  dear  child  is  very  feeble  and  only 
Christ  knows  when  or  how  she  is  to  serve.  Most 
earnest  must  be  our  prayer  that  if  His  will,  vigor  of 
body  may  come  for  the  work  for  which  she  is  so 
rarely  fitted.  Yours  in  Christ, 

Ada  H.  Steinberg. 

^ ^ 

New  Yore  City,  Jan.  26,  ’91 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  : — Your  kind  letter  re- 
ceived. Your  request  for  my  life  and  conversion  and 
also  Mamie’s  I will  promise  to  grant  on  condition  that 
names  are  suppressed.  I do  not  think  it  is  a false 
pride  in  my  case,  but  I remember  that  I have  rela- 
tives who  I know  would  not  like  ever  to  see  or  know 
anything  of  the  past.  They  do  not  know  anything  of 
the  past  at  home  and  I do  not  believe  the  Ford  wants 
me  to  tell  them. 

When  I think  of  the  years  of  my  life  that  were 
spent  in  vice  I feel  that  I would  like  to  go  off  some- 
where and  cover  myself  with  sackcloth.  There  is  no 
pleasure  in  recalling  those  days,  and  many  a time  at 
my  desk  when  some  recollection  thereof  comes  to  me 
I feel  the  blood  mounting  to  my  face  and  feel  what  a 
shame  that  it  should  be  true. 

I was  thinking  of  you  and  your  work  last  night, 
and  I wondered  where  you  were  and  what  you  are 
doing.  I knew  you  were  doing  the  Master’s  work, 
but  wondered  if  you  were  in  a church  among  the  re- 
spectable sinners  or  down  in  the  slums  among  the 
real  bad  ones. 


i82 


THK  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


There  was  quite  a good  meeting  at  the  Florence 
Saturday  night,  it  being  Mr.  McNulty’s  fifth  anniver- 
sary. But  somehow,  Mr.  Crittenton,  I always  miss 
you  at  the  Saturday  night  meetings.  I know,  Mr. 
Crittenton,  that  you  pray  for  me  every  day.  You 
never  forget  any  of  the  girls.  We  are  all  very  dear  to 
you,  I believe,  and  I know  we  are  much  dearer  to 
Christ.  I remember  you  always  and  ask  that  you 
may  have  souls  for  your  hire. 

Your  sister  in  Christ, 

M.  H.  I. 

* * * 

Florence  Night  Mission, 

New  York,  Oct.  i,  1889. 

To  OUR  Dear  Friend  and  Kind  Benefactor, 
Mr.  C.  N.  Crittenton  ; — We,  your  girls  of  the 
Florence  Mission,  write  a line  to  offer  you  universal 
thanks  for  all  the  many  benefits  we  have  receiv’ed  in 
this  our  happy  home  both  spiritually  and  otherwise, 
but  especially  for  the  very  pleasant  day  we  spent  in 
honor  of  the  birthday  of  our  dear  matron  and  mother, 
for  mother  indeed,  she  is  to  all  of  us.  You  will 
probably,  or  perhaps  have  alread}^  received  details 
regarding  the  pleasures  of  the  day  from  another 
source,  but  we  could  not  resist  writing  a few  lines  to 
let  you  know  that  we  did  not  forget  you,  and  many, 
many  were  the  wishes  for  your  presence,  and  also 
many  prayers  were  sent  up  to  the  Heaveul}'  throne 
for  your  perfect  restoration  to  health  and  for  3’our  safe 
return  to  us  at  an  early  date.  The  latter  part  of  the 
last  passage  may  seem  selfish  as  j'ou  read  it,  but  dear 
friend  it  is  not  the  case,  as  I am  sure  there  is  not  one 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSION,  SACRAMENTO,  CAL. 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  183 

of  us  who  has  known  you  but  would  forfeit  anything 
in  our  power  only  to  see  you  fully  restored  to  health. 
We  cannot  in  writing  convey  all  we  would  like  to  say 
neither  can  we  express  all  our  thanks,  but  one  thing 
we  can  do  and  by  the  help  of  our  Heavenly  Father  we 
are  going  to — that  is  to  prove  by  our  lives  that  we  are 
Mr.  Crittenton’s  own  girls  also  that  our  light  shall 
so  shine  before  men  that  we  may  glorify  our  Father 
which  is  in  Heaven.  We  still  keep  up  our  noonday 
meeting  and  look  forward  to  it  with  much  pleasure. 
Our  Sunday  evening  Bible-class  is  also  very  interest- 
ing, and  we  appreciate  Mr.  Hatch  more  than  he  im- 
agines for  the  untiring  interest  which  he  takes  in  us. 

Sincerely  hoping  to  receive  in  the  next  letter 
still  better  account  of  your  health,  also  that  you  may 
have  a glorious  time  in  the  Holy  Land,  we,  are  as 
ever.  Your  Girls, 

of  the  blessed  Florence  Mission. 
^ * 

Florence  Mission, 

New  York,  Sept.  13,  1889. 

Dearest  op  Friends  : — I have  no  doubt  you 
will  have  forgotten  me,  but  such  is  not  the  case  on 
my  part.  Though  I have  only  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  you  personally  twice,  it  seems  to  me  that 
I have  been  acquainted  with  you  all  my  lifetime.  I 
have  been  in  the  Mission  two  weeks  altogether  and 
have  been  richly  blessed  spiritually.  I am  praying 
sincerely  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  I shall 
have  the  pleasure  of  seening  you  personally.  May 
God  bless  you  and  return  you  to  us  safely,  is  the 
prayer  of  One  of  your  girls,  L.  H. 


184 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Florence  Mission, 

New  York  City,  Sept.  13,  1889. 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  : — It  is  with  love  and 
pleasure  that  I write  you  these  few  lines.  I am  very- 
sorry  to  hear  that  you  are  feeling  so  badly  but  I pray  to 
the  Ford  every  day  that  He  may  make  you  well  again, 
and  Mr.  Crittenton,  I am  trying  to  be  a good  Christian 
girl  and  the  dear  Lord  knows  if  I do  make  missteps 
that  I want  to  do  what  is  right  and  I hope  that  I will 
be  faithful  and  that  I may  meet  you  in  heaven,  for  I 
know  that  if  I follow  after  the  example  you  and  dear 
Mrs.  Howell  have  set  before  me  that  I always  will  do 
what  the  Lord  wants  me  to. 

We  are  having  very  good  meetings  now.  Last 
night  Mr.  Sketchley  preached  and  our  noon  meetings 
are  good.  They  have  been  a great  help  to  us. 

This  is  all  for  this  time.  I will  close  with  love,  as 
ever.  Your  little  friend,  N.  K. 

The  Matron  writes  : “It  has  been  a hard  battle 
for  your  poor  little  Nellie  to  give  up  self  and  her  own 
will  and  ways,  but  I believe  she  is  determined  to  get 
to  heaven  by  the  grace  of  God. 

^ 

Florence  Mission, 

New  York  City,  Sept.  30,  1889. 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  : — I was  very  happ3"  to 
hear  from  j^ou  this  morning.  I do  long  so  much  to 
look  into  your  kind  and  loving  face  once  more. 

Say  Mr.  Crittenton,  yesterday,  being  that  it  was 
my  last  da}^  here,  the  girls  had  me  lead  the  meeting 
and  I tell  j'ou  Mr.  Crittenton  that  we  had  a splendid 


FI,ORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  185 

meeting.  Mr.  Hatch  came  a little  while  before  the 
time  so  that  gave  me  a good  chance  to  ask  him  down 
to  my  meeting  ; he  led  us  in  prayer,  then  every  one  of 
the  girls  followed  after  and  the  night  meetings  are 
very  good.  Mr.  Crittenton,  I can  never  forget  the 
kind  and  loving  instructions  that  I have  received  ever 
since  I came  into  this  house.  I know  that  there  was 
a time  last  winter  that  I did  not  take  heed  to  what 
was  said  to  me  about  Jesus,  but  I do  now,  and  I ask 
you  as  my  own  dear  papa  to  pray  for  me  that  the 
Lord  may  always  keep  me  close  to  Him.  I feel  that 
the  Lord  has  greatly  blessed  me  since  I have  been 
here  just  eleven  months  ago  to-night. 

Your  affectionate  little  daughter  in  Jesus, 

Neleie. 

New  York  City,  Sept,  13th,  1889. 

My  Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  : — I write  you  these 
few  lines  wishing  to  tell  you  that  I am  saved  through 
the  blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  am  trying  to 
be  a good  faithful  girl  and  be  a credit  to  God  and  to 
you  all.  I do  want  to  meet  you  and  all  my  loved 
ones  up  in  that  bright  and  better  land  which  Jesus 
has  prepared  for  us  all,  and  where  there  will  be  no 
more  sin  or  pain,  or  parting,  and  where  we  will  al- 
ways behold  the  face  of  our  beloved  Jesus. 

Mr.  Crittenton  I am  very  glad  to  tell  you  that  I 
led  our  noonday  meeting  and  we  never  forget  you  in 
our  prayers.  I hope  to  see  you  when  you  return  in 
health  and  strength  and  I do  thank  you  and  God  for 
this  blessed  home  Florence  Mission,  which  is  a haven 
of  rest  from  the  bitter  cold  world  that  we  must  face  to 


i86 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


will  souls  for  Jesus,  but  He  will  take  care  of  us  all 
along  the  way.  I must  now  close  by  saying  that  I 
am  standing  on  the  promises  of  God. 

One  of  your  girls,  Genie  Hansen. 

^ ^ ^ 

Florence  Night  Mission, 

New  York  City,  Sept.  13,  ’89. 

To  Our  Beloved  Friend  Mr.  Crittenton, 
Founder  Florence  Mission : — From  your  own  girls. 
You  can  never  comprehend  what  joy  and  happiness 
it  gave  us  all  yesterday  as  Mrs.  Howell  gave  your 
card  to  us  as  our  very  own  and  not  a word  only  to  our- 
selves, and  then  to  think  you  were  thinking  of  us 
on  top  of-that  great  Eiffel  Tower,  and  as  it  tells  us  no 
matter  where  you  go  nor  how  high  you  climb  j^ou 
always  carry  your  girls  in  your  heart  and  in  your 
prayers  ; and  just  to  think,  you’re  not  feeling  well  and 
yet  sitting  down  to  let  us  know  you  are  thinking  of 
us  and  praying  for  us.  We  have  been  holding  a 
meeting  to-day  just  for  you  that  God  may  heal  your 
body  and  bring  you  back  to  us  soon,  and  we  believe 
He  will,  for  whatever  we  ask  God  for  in  our  little 
noon  meeting  He  does  it  for  us.  So  now  we  are 
going  to  write  out  the  testimonies  and  send  them  to 
you  that  you  may  see  that  your  labor  which  under 
God  you  bestow  upon  us  is  not  lost,  for  we  are  truly 
grateful  to  God  and  to  you.  We  are  going  to  have 
the  card  you  .sent  us  put  in  a frame  that  we  maj^  all 
enjoy  it  together.  With  best  of  good  wishes  and 
prayers  for  heaven’s  richest  blessings,  we  remain. 

Your  Own  Girls, 

of  Florence  Mission. 


PIvORENCE  CRITTEnPON  MISSIONS.  187 

Feorence  Mission, 

New  York  City,  Sept.  13,  1889. 

Dear  Friend  and  Kind  Benefactor  : — We 
are  all  deliglited  to  hear  from  you  and  it  affords  me 
great  pleasure  to  write  my  little  testimony — that  I 
love  Jesus  to-day  better  than  ever  I did,  and  it  is  my 
earnest  prayer  that  God  will  keep  me  at  the  foot  of 
the  Cross. 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton,  I often  wonder  if  it  will  ever 
be  in  my  power  to  prove  to  you  how  fully  I appre- 
ciate all  the  kindness  I have  received  at  your  hands 
and  the  hands  of  our  dear  little  mother,  Mrs.  Howell. 
May  our  Heavenly  Father  shower  His  richest  bless- 
ings upon  you  and  return  you  to  us  safely  again,  is 
the  sincere  prayer  of  one  of  your  own  girls. 

Hattie  Waleace. 

Feorence  Mission, 

New  York,  Sept.  13,  1889. 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  : — I am  a stranger  to  you 
personally,  but,  thank  God,  not  spiritually — through 
the  kindness  and  prayers  of  Mrs.  Howell  and  Mr. 
Sketchley,  I came  here  to  this  good  home  a week  ago  a 
broken-down  creature,  sick  of  the  world,  sick  of 
everything,  sin  and  drink  especially,  and  I was  weary 
and  heavy-hearted.  But,  thank  God,  I have  found 
rest  and  peace  in  this  blessed  home.  And  oh,  Mr. 
Crittenton  how  we  girls  here  do  pray  for  you  every 
day  that  God  may  bless  you  and  give  you  strength 
and  health  to  be  able  to  return  to  us  soon,  that  we 
may  be  able  to  see  our  kind  and  good  father,  for  that 
is  what  you  have  been  to  all  the  girls. 


i88 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


I may  not  be  here  when  you  return  as  I must  go 
out  in  the  world  again  to  fight  life’s  battles,  but  kind 
Mr.  Crittenton,  I have  salvation  now,  and  that  I did 
not  have  before  ; and  I am  trusting  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  therefore  I cannot  fail  to  do  right. 

Oh,  Mr.  Crittenton  how  happy  I am.  I cannot 
tell  you  how  happy  I feel.  Do  pray  for  me  in  that 
far  land.  I love  to  go  down  to  the  meeting  every 
night.  Everybody  is  so  kind  and  happy  there. 

“ On  Christ  the  solid  rock  I stand. 

All  other  ground  is  sinking  sand.” 

Pray  for  me  that  I may  be  steadfast  in  the  good 
resolutions  I have  made.  Good-by  Mr.  Crittenton, 
and  may  God  bless  you,  is  the  sincere  wish  of  one  of 

your  girls.  Bessie  Willis. 

^ ^ 

Florence  Mission  Rescue  Band, 

New  York,  May  25,  1890. 

Dear  Friend  and  Brother  : — I received  5*our 
kind  letter  some  time  ago,  I was  so  glad  to  hear  from 
you.  I thank  you  very  much  for  5'our  kindness  to 
me.  From  the  very  first  you  have  alwa3"S  been  a 
father,  or  rather,  a very  kind  brother  to  me.  Some- 
times when  I am  very  tired  after  a hard  night’s  work, 
I just  think  it  would  be  so  nice  to  lie  down  to  rest 
and  to  open  my  eyes  in  the  land  of  bloom  where  the 
sun  never  sets,  where  sorrow  is  unknown,  where 
sin  never  enters  and  where  Satan  will  never  tempt  us 
any  more,  where  our  vile  bodies  will  be  changed  to 
glorified  bodies  like  unto  His.  Mr.  Crittenton,  do  you 
remember  that  to-day  is  the  25th  of  May?  Since 
three  years  ago,  what  a change  ! The  woman  that 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  189 

you  saw  that  night  is  dead,  I am  a new  woman.  But 
you  remember  that  night,  I think  there  never  was  a 
more  weary  soul  ever  crossed  your  door  than  I.  The 
world  was  so  cold,  and  so  hard.  Since  mother  left  me, 
it  seemed  as  if  no  one  cared  for  my  soul,  but  surely 
the  Master  spoke  to  me  through  you  that  night.  He 
looked  through  your  eyes.  Something  said  to  me, 
“This  man  is  true.’’  I saw  God  in  your  face.  As 

poor  B said,  “ In  one  sense  you  are  my  Saviour  ’’ 

— through  Him. 

Then,  no  one  but  Jesus  knows  how  many  times  I 
was  ready  to  give  up,  when  your  words  cheered  me. 
But,  my  true  friend,  I can  tell  you  to-day  I am  on  the 
Rock — Christ  Jesus.  No  storm  can  sweep  me  off. 
But  it  was  through  many  trials  and  many  sorrows 
before  I could  say,  “ Father,  Thy  will  be  done.’’ 

I shall  never  be  able  to  praise  Him  enough  in  this 
life,  it  is  too  short,  but  in  glory  we  shall  have  a shout 
when  we  cast  our  crowns  at  His  feet.  My  heart  is 
full  of  praise.  I have  been  to  church  to-day,  and 
took  four  girls  with  me  from  the  Mission.  Then  I 
went  to  the  hospital  with  Brother  Van  Lien,  to  see  a 
girl  we  had  rescued,  or  rather  we  had  talked  with  her 
in  a house  of  ill-fame  on  W.  Third  street,  and  to-day 
she  told  me  she  wanted  to  be  saved.  I tried  to  hold  up 
Jesus  to  her.  I told  her  of  the  Israelites  when  they 
were  bitten  by  the  serpents  in  the  wilderness,  and  how 
Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  on  the  pole  that  the  d5dng 
Israelites  might  look  and  live.  And  some  had  to  be 
brought  to  see  it,  and  how  no  doubt  it  seemed  impos- 
sible to  them  that  they  could  be  cured  by  merely 
looking,  and  while  I talked  to  her  she  just  lifted  her 


igo  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

eyes  unto  Jesus  and  she  broke  all  down  and  wept  like 
a child,  and  she  said  that  if  God  had  not  sent  me  to 
tell  her  that  story  she  never  would  have  believed,  and 
she  gave  herself  up  to  Him  now. 

We  must  pray  for  Libby  Norton,  another  one  soon 
to  join  that  number  for  she  never  will  arise  out  of  her 
bed.  Her  life  is  fast  ebbing  away.  Only  to  think, 
by  my  telling  her  that  story  of  Christ  in  my  weak 
way,  she  is  to-day  saved!  Oh  ! when  I think  of  myseli 
three  years  ago,  do  you  wonder  I feel  happy  to  think 
He  can  use  me  in  His  service  ? 

^ ^ ^ 

Florence  Night  Mission, 

New  York,  February  20,  1890. 

Dear  Friend  and  Brother  : — Your  kind  letter 
at  hand.  I hasten  to  answer  it.  You  perhaps  may 
never  know  how  it  cheers  me.  Oh,  my  dear  friend, 
since  you  went  away  I have  been  many  times  dis- 
couraged, and  if  my  Father  had  not  taken  m3^  hand  I 
would  have  stumbled  many  times,  but  He  has  thus 
far  kept  me  from  all  evil.  The  w^ay  has  been  rugged, 
and  sometimes  the  storms  have  almost  overwhelmed 
me,  but  the  anchor  still  holds,  bless  God  ! 

Now  I must  tell  you,  I have  not  forgotten  to-day 
is  your  birthday,  and  to-night,  at  the  Mission,  they 
are  going  to  celebrate  it.  Oh,  I sincerely  pray  3'ou 
will  soon  return  to  us  again,  if  it  is  His  will. 

I must  inclose  some  of  the  bo3='s’  letters.  They 
want  to  send  them  to  3"ou.  The  work  is  going  on  in 
the  Mission  as  usual,  but  no  one  can  ever  fill  your 
place,  no  matter  ho-w  well  he  ma3^  speak.  But  I am 
most  interested  in  the  after  meeting.  Many  times  it 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  I9I 

falls  to  my  lot  to  lead  it.  Many  young  men  are 
getting  saved  every  night. 

I was  up  at  Avenue  A Mission  at  a meeting  last 
night.  Dr.  Wilson  wants  me  to  take  the  meeting  one 
night  out  of  the  week.  He  has  a band  of  music  just 
like  the  salvation  army. 

I want  to  tell  you  something  about  Bessy.  Of 
course  you  know  all  about  her  death  before  this  time, 
but  I want  to  tell  you  of  some  of  our  little  talks.  One 
night  I was  very  tired  and  I went  up  to  talk  to  her.  I 
also  had  a letter  from  one  of  our  converts  to  read  to  her, 
and  in  the  letter  he  said,  “Sister  Charlotte,  you  were 
my  saviour — that  night  you  came  to  Mulberry  street  I 
had  entirely  given  up  and  had  no  hope,  but  your  kind 
words  gave  me  courage — then  there  was  lots  more  in 
the  letter  in  the  same  line,  for,  poor  fellow,  he  is  very 
grateful.  At  the  close  he  said,  “Jesus  saves  me 
now.’’  Then  Bessy  suddenly  broke  her  silence  and 
said,  “Oh,  Charlotte,  you  were  my  saviour,  too  !’’ — 
and  I said,  “ Now  Bessy  you  know  none  but  Jesus  can 
save;’’  and  she  said,  “Yes,  but  He  uses  means, 
and  you  were  the  means.’’  She  said,  “The  night 
you  came  to  the  police  station,  I had  given  up  to  die. 
When  the  officer  called  me  out  of  the  cell,  I thought, 
whatever  may  happen,  I am  lost.  Then  I looked  up 
and  saw  you  and  the  police  captain  and  I said,  ‘ If 
God  has  put  it  into  the  heart  of  the  captain  to  let  me 
go  I will  try  once  more.’  Oh,  Charlotte,  until  that 
night  I never  believed  much  in  you,’’ — then  she  suf- 
fered so  much  we  did  not  continue  our  talk  till  two 
nights  afterward,  when  I went  up  again,  and  said, 
“ Bessy  do  you  know  you  are  nearing  the  valley  and 


192 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


the  shadow?  Do  you  fear  any  evil?”  And  she 
answered,  ‘‘  No."  Then  she  said  ‘‘  Do  you  know  to- 
day I have  been  thinking  so  much  about  Mr.  Crit- 
tenton,  but  I will  never  see  him  here.  But  you  must 
tell  him  I will  meet  him  where  sorrow  can  never 
come.  I will  see  Nellie  Conroy  there  and  Little 
Florence,” — and  then  she  was  suffering  great  pain, 
but  she  looked  up  in  my  face  and  said  again,  ‘‘  There 
wi  11 — be — no — pain — there — ’ ’ 

Again  I went  up  to  see  her  the  night  after  Christ- 
mas, I gave  up  the  Christmas-tree  they  had  at  the 
Mission  and  I went  to  talk  to  dear  Bessy  again. 
I said,  “Bessy,  can  I do  anything  for  you?”  She 
said,  “ You  might  help  me  to  take  a bath.”  So  I gave 
her  a bath.  Mr.  Crittenton,  I shall  always  praise 
God  for  that  night.  He  was  surely  with  me  there. 
I got  through  with  washing  her.  She  was  entirely 
helpless — and  she  said,  “ I am  sorry  to  take  you  away 
from  all  the  good  time,  but  Charlotte,  you  will,  per- 
haps, never  know  the  charity  you  have  done.”  I 
said,  “ Bess3L  don’t  speak  so,  I feel  as  though  I w^ere 
washing  the  feet  of  my  Saviour,”  and  then  I did  thank 
God  who  so  changed  our  hearts  and  filled  them  with 
His  own  love.  I then  said,  “Bessy  how  do  3'ou 
feel?”  She  said,  “ I feel  so  much  better,  I am  only 
waiting  for  Jesus  to  call  me  home.”  I said,  “Are 
you  sure  you  are  all  ready?  She  answered,  “Yes, 
for  He  said,  ‘ Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet  the3' 
shall  be  as  white  as  snow.’  ” Then  she  rested,  and 
went  on  quoting  many  passages  of  Scripture,  ending 
with,  “ He  that  cometh  unto  me  I will  in  no  wise  cast 


flore:nce  crittenton  missions. 


193 


out,”  and  added,  ‘‘  I have  come  and  He  has  not  cast 
me  out.” 

Then  I shouted, — I could  not  help  it — ” Glory  to 
God.” 

Eva  is  getting  along  nicely  and  living  to  please 
God,  The  rest  of  the  girls  are  all  well.  You  re- 
member Dora.  She  has  started  to  do  right  and  has 
given  her  heart  to  God.  She  has  a young  daughter 
and  getting  along  nicely. 

My  husband  is  very  sick  this  winter.  I do  not 
know  whether  he  will  ever  be  better  but  I am  ear- 
nestly praying  for  him.  I am  constantly  working  in 
the  dives  and  parlor  houses  and  in  the  hospitals. 
Trusting  that  I may  soon  see  you  again  and  that  the 
dear  Lord  may  help  us  to  bring  many  poor  lost  souls 
to  Himself,  I am.  Your  Sister  in  Christ, 

Charlotte. 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  : — i thought  i would 
write  a few  lines  as  i am  still  home,  you  know  i wrote 
once  before  and  told  you  why  i came  back  i am  still 
trusting  in  Gesus  he  saves  and  keeps  me  to  day.  it 
is  a grand  way  to  live  for  when  we  are  in  trouble  we 
can  go  to  him  in  prair  and  he  is  all  we  need  and  every 
day  i grow  stronger  i would  not  exchange  this  life  for 
all  the  worled  i am  praying  that  you  may  get  better 
and  enjoy  your  trip  this  is  all  i have  to  say  good  by 

from  Katie  Johnson. 

^ >i< 

Florence  Mission,  Sept.  13th,  1889. 

My  Dear  Friend  and  Kind  Benefactor  : — I 
cannot  in  writing  express  my  thankfulness  to  God, 


194 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


for  all  His  goodness  and  mercy  to  me.  When  1 
think,  had  it  not  been  for  His  great  love  in  guiding 
my  footsteps  to  Florence  Mission  I might  have  filled 
a suicide’s  grave  ! and  we  know  that  could  I have 
seen  with  the  eyes  I do  now,  that  I should  under  those 
circumstances  have  gone  to  eternal  damnation.  How 
I do  thank  and  praise  hhn  for  saving  me  ! 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton  you  cannot  imagine  how 
anxiously  we  were  all  looking  forward  to  your  return, 
and  oh,  how  sorry  to  hear  that  you  are  not  enjoying 
the  best  of  health  ; but  I am  praying  sincerely  that 
Our  Heavenly  Father  may  soon  restore  you  and  bring 
you  safely  back  to  us. 

We  have  a very  nice  little  meeting  just  among  the 
girls  every  day  at  i p.  M.,  and  how  we  do  pray  for  you. 
Do  you  ever  think  of  us  at  that  time  ? — I suppose  it  is 
then  between  5 and  6 o’clock  in  England.  But  what 
a foolish  question  for  me  to  ask.  Do  3'ou  ever  think 
of  us  then  ? when  my  heart  tells  me  there  are  not  many 
half  hours  in  the  day  when  you  do  not  think  and  pray 
for  us. 

With  the  best  of  good  wishes  for  your  health  and 
safe  return  to  us,  I am  one  of  your  own  grateful  girls. 

Emily  Robinson. 

5);  ^ 

Florence  Mission, 

New  York,  Nov.  16,  1890. 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton,  My  Dear  Brother  in 
Christ . Dear  Brother  Carpenter  was  here  last  Sun- 

day night  and  while  leading  the  meeting  announced 
from  the  platform  if  any  one  wished  to  send  word  or 


fl,ori;nce;  crittknton  missions.  195 

write  to  Mr.  Crittenton  he  would  be  pleased  to  deliver 
their  message  as  he  — God  willing  — would  start  for 
California  the  i8th  of  this  month.  He  remarked,  “ If 
I should  not  live  to  meet  Brother  Charles  here  on 
earth,  I know  I shall  meet  him  in  that  celestial  city 
where  there  is  no  more  parting  and  no  more  going  out 
forever.  He  also  said  he  was  ready  to  turn  “ the  cor- 
ner” at  any  time,  as  it  was  ‘‘well  with  his  soul.” 
God  bless  him.  May  he  return  home  in  safety  to  us 
and  to  his  family  as  we  all  love  him  very  much. 

Dear  Mr.  Crittenton,  please  do  make  us  a visit  if 
nothing  more,  God  grant  it.  His  will  be  done.  I 
would  be  so  delighted  to  see  you.  I have  heard  so 
many  girls  speak  of  you  and  your  goodness  to  them 
and  I know  what  they  say  to  be  true  as  I both  see  and 
enjoy  your  wondrous  kmdness  every  day  of  my  life, 
therefore  accept  many,  many  thanks  and  many  bless- 
ings from  me.  May  God  bless  you  forever  and  for- 
ever. 

Little  Annie  Tompkins  is  one  sweet  girl  I heard 
speak  of  you  particularly  and  very  often.  Annie  has 
passed  away  to  the  better  land  where  there  is  no  more 
sickness,  no  more  sorrow,  all  peace  and  rest.  She 
died  at  Blackwell’s  Island,  but  the  surroundings  did 
not  make  any  difference  with  her  ; she  fully  trusted  in 
Jesus. 

I want  to  tell  you  something  of  my  spiritual  wel- 
fare. I am  nearly  forty-eight  years  of  age.  Had 
been  a great  sinner  all  my  life  until,  thirty-eight  weeks 
ago  to-day,  God  so  deeply  convicted  me  of  my  sins. 
I made  up  my  mind  by  the  help  of  God  I would  quit 
sinning  and  lead  a different  life.  Through  God  and 


196 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


the  influence  of  a Christian  woman  I came  to  Flor- 
ence Mission  about  half  past  twelve  at  night,  on  Sun- 
day. The  following  Monday  night  I made  a complete 
surrender  and  gave  my  heart  to  God.  It  was  in  our 
inquiry  room  where  Jesus  spoke  peace  to  my  soul  and 
saved  me  — saved  me  from  a life  of  sm.  I thank  God 
that  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  has  thoroughly 
cleansed  my  heart  so  that  I have  no  desire  for  the 
world  of  sin.  I am  fully  trusting  in  Jesus  for  the 
great  keeping  power.  Blessed  be  His  holy  name. 
“They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  Mount  Zion, 
which  cannot  be  removed  but  abideth  forever.’’ 

Since  Jesus  saved  me  I have  worked  everj^  day  ex- 
cept two.  That  is  what  Salvation  will  do.  It  takes 
all  laziness  out  of  any  one.  I take  full  charge  of  our 
chapel  and  do  nearly  all  the  work. 

Our  meetings  are  attended  largely  and  precious 
souls  saved  every  night.  Dear  Brother  Sketchley  is 
one  of  our  best  leaders,  and,  I believe,  a true  man  of 
God.  Mrs.  Prindle,  our  matron  and  mother  as  we  all 
call  her,  is  one  of  God’s  own,  kind  and  lovdng,  caring 
for  all  who  come  within  the  doors  of  Florence  Mission. 
We  love  her  and  know  her  to  be  a true  Christian. 

Dear  Brother  Crittenton,  please  do  try  and  come 
to  see  us.  I pray  for  3'ou  every  day  and  night  and 
say,  “God  bless  you’’  man}'  times  a daj'.  After 
each  meal  I say,  “Thank  God  and  Brother  Crit- 
tenton.’’ Yours  in  Christ,  F.  H.  M. 

Could  there  in  all  the  world  be  found  greater  evi- 
dence of  God’s  power  to  save  to  the  uttermost,  than 
is  revealed  in  these  living  testimonies  ? 


©escriptiongi  of  t!)e  J^lorence  ^rittenton 
fifliissions. 


“ A little  child  shall  lead  them.” — Isaiah. 

N this  chapter  are  the  records  of  the 
i work  done  by  the  various  Florence 
Crittenton  Missions,  and  the  perusal 
must  make  any  heart  in  which  is  a 
spark  of  humanity  thrill  with  joy. 
Surely,  as  these  noble  workers  went  about 
their  work  of  redemption,  the  very  angels 
must  have  watched  them  with  bated  breath,  for  their 
task  was  so  hard  and  the  “ great  cloud  of  witnesses” 
peered  over  the  battlements  of  heaven  to  be  the  first 
to  telegraph  to  the  throne  ” the  lost  is  found.”  How 
many  times  these  self-forgetful  ” co-workers  with 
God”  have  made  all  heaven  ring  with  joy  over  the 
salvation  of  a precious  soul.  Perchance  when  the 
work  has  seemed  so  discouraging  that  they  have 
almost  fainted  through  toil  and  weariness  and  the 
overwhelming  odds  of  sin,  then  how  inspiring  the 
thought  that  in  heaven  the  angels  hush  their  harps 
to  hear  the  prayer  of  the  repentant  erring  girl,  or  the 
drunken  bo}^,  redeemed  through  their  influence,  and 
then  the  whole  orchestra  of  heaven  takes  up  the 
exultant  anthem  ‘‘Alleluia!  Alleluia!  the  dead  is 
alive.” 

FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSION,  NEW  YORK. 

The  first  Board  of  Managers  were  Rev.  John  Dooly, 
S.  D.  Howe,  M.  D.  ; Rev.  N.  Woolsey  Wells,  E.  W. 

197 


iqS  '•'he  Traffic  in  girls. 

Oakes,  Charles  N.  Crittenton,  A.  L.  Steveson,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Henry  Gibbud  and  A.  M.  Cochrane. 

The  following  are  the  incorporators  : Charles  N. 
Crittenton,  Alfred  W.  Dennett.  Edward  Sketchley, 
John  D.  Brower,  Robert  G.  Vassar,  Aifrederick  S. 
Hatch.  Jotham  Carpenter,  Wager  Swayne,  James  W. 
Pierce,  Franklin  B.  Waterman  and  John  S.  Huyler. 

To  each  and  every  one  of  these  noble  men  a trib- 
ute of  praise  is  due  for  their  grand  and  patient  con- 
tinuance in  work  for  the  erring  girls  and  fallen  men. 
They  all  believe  in  the  Presbyterian  doctrine  of  “ the 
perseverance  of  the  saints,”  for  since  the  founding  of 
the  Mission,  April  19,  1883,  they  have  been  “ instant 
in  season  and  out  of  season  ” in  pushing  the  rescue 
work.  None  have  been  more  faithful  than  Mrs.  How- 
ells, Mrs.  Hall  and  the  gifted  organist  Mrs.  Elton,  who 
- for  years  and  years  never  missed  a meeting.  Mr.  A. 
W.  Milbury,  one  of  the  converts,  is  devoting  his  life 
to  evangelistic  work,  which  God  wonderfully  blesses. 

No  one  more  highly  appreciates  their  splendid 
cooperation  than  Mr.  Crittenton,  and  his  daily  prayers 
in  their  behalf  prove  the  words  of  Paul,  “ I have  3’ou 
in  my  heart.” 

But  not  only  do  Mr.  Crittenton  and  these  good 
brothers  believe  in  rescue  work,  but  thej'  also  believe 
in  preventive  work.  It  is  much  better  and  easier  to 
save  a girl  from  falling  into  sin  than  to  reclaim  her 
from  the  gulf  of  degradation.  To  this  end  wms  estab- 
lished Florence  Crittenton  Home,  at  140  East  14th 
Street,  New  York,  where  worthy  working  girls  can 
find  all  the  comforts  of  a home,  and  employment  is 
found  for  those  out  of  work.  In  this  Home  is  especially 


PivORKNCE  CRITTKNTON  MISSIONS. 


199 


shown  the  great  generosity  of  Mr.  A.  W.  Dennett,  the 
noted  caterer,  who  has  a chain  of  thirteen  Dennett 
restaurants  stretching  across  the  continent.  Mr.  Den- 
nett proves  his  Christian  and  prohibition  principles,  by 
not  allowing  liquor  or  tobacco  to  be  sold  in  any  of  his 
restaurants,  and  closing  them  on  the  Lord’s  Day. 
The  cost  of  such  stanch  firmness  may  be  seen  from  the 
fact  that  one  tobacconist  offered  Mr.  Dennett  $15,000 
per  year  for  a corner  in  his  restaurants  for  selling 
cigars.  But  Mr.  Dennett  not  only  prays  ‘ ‘ Thy  King- 
dom come”  but  he  works  and  votes  for  it  to  come, 
and  no  gain  from  liquor  or  tobacco  tarnishes  his 
labors  for  Jesus.  He  generously  gives  to  the  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Home  the  continual  lease  of  three 
large  floors  over  his  restaurant,  also  large  numbers  of 
meal  tickets  at  half  rates.  Like  Mr.  Crittenton  his 
benefactions  run  up  into  the  tens  of  thousands. 

This  Home  is  under  the  loving  supervision  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  E.  G.  Underhill.  These  consecrated  Chris- 
tians are  both  ministers  in  the  Friends  church,  and 
these  homeless,  despairing  girls  find  them  ministering 
friends  indeed.  Large  numbers  of  girls  are  in  the 
Home  all  the  time  and  hundreds  have  thus  been 
saved  from  a life  of  shame.  Mrs.  Underhill  is  a 
sister  of  ‘‘  Mother”  Prindle  and  warmly  aids  her  in 
all  the  work  of  Florence  Crittenton  Mission.  The 
testimonies  of  the  girls  who  have  been  saved  from  the 
horrors  of  a shameful  life,  touches  all  hearts  to  tears 
and  their  gratitude  is  unbounded. 

It  is  a pleasure  to  record  that  the  Young  Woman’s 
Christian  Association  is  founding  such  homes  for 
working  girls  in  nearly  all  large  cities  of  the  Union. 


200 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


NEW  BRUNSWICK,  NEW  JERSEY. 

During  the  winter  and  spring  of  1889  the  Woman’s 
Christian  Temperance  Union  of  this  city,  two  of 
whose  members  were  conducting  weekly  meetings  in 
the  county  jail,  located  here  became  deeply  impressed 
with  the  necessity  of  having  established  in  this  city 
a mission  whose  aim  should  be  the  conversion  and 
reformation  of  the  lowest  class  of  men  and  w'omen. 
Other  Christian  hearts  felt  this  need  and  were  praying 
for  the  same  results. 

Smith  N.  Allen,  who  was  then  our  City  Missionary, 
called  a meeting  of  Christian  people  to  consider  the 
starting  some  work  which  should  have  for  its  espe- 
cial object  the  rescue  of  fallen  women. 

Mr.  Charles  N.  Crittenton  of  New  York  wms 
asked  to  address  the  meeting  and  came  bringing  with 
him  several  girls  who  had  been  rescued  from  a life  of 
shame  at  the  Florence  Mission  in  New  York.  His 
loving  sympathetic  utterances  stirred  all  hearts,  and 
the  result  of  the  meeting  was  the  organization  of  the 
Florence  Crittenton  Mission  of  the  city  of  New  Bruns- 
wick. 

A sum  of  money  was  raised  on  that  occasion,  Mr. 
Crittenton  being  among  those  who  made  donations. 

In  the  slums  of  the  city,  in  the  midst  of  saloons 
and  other  vile  haunts,  a building  was  rented  suitable 
for  the  purposes  of  a Mission  and  Rescue  Home,  and 
on  the  15th  of  May,  1889,  it  was  solemnl}-  dedicated 
to  the  worship  of  God  and  the  rescue  of  fallen  human- 
ity. One  of  the  ladies  who  had  held  the  weekl}' jail 
services,  and  who  had,  under  the  shock  of  a great 


FI,OR:eNCE;  CRl'TTKNTON  MISSIONS. 


201 


sorrow,  the  death  of  a beloved  husband,  dedicated  her 
life  to  God,  was  chosen  matron  and  superintendent  of 
the  work.  She  took  with  her,  as  janitor  of  the  Mis^ 
sion,  a young  man  who  had  been  converted  through 
her  work  in  the  jail.  He  showed  such  zeal  and  con- 
secration that  he  was  soon  made  an  associate  mission- 
ary and  gave  about  two  years  of  earnest  effort  to  the 
work,  but  attracting  the  attention  of  the  President  of 
Rutgers  College  and  one  of  the  local  ministers,  who 
saw  in  him  marked  ability,  he  was  encouraged  to 
study  for  the  ministry.  He  spent  two  years  in  Rut- 
gers Theological  Seminary,  but  belonging  to  the 
Methodist  church  he  thought  it  best  to  finish  his 
studies  at  Drew  Theological  Seminary.  He  is  a 
licensed  preacher  and  has  a small  charge  in  the 
New  Jersey  Conference.  The  W.  C.  T.  U.,  for  some 
time,  bore  the  responsibility  of  carrying  on  the  Mis- 
sion, but  as  that  organization  was  burdened  by  a 
heavy  debt  on  its  hall,  it  was  thought  best  to  throw 
the  support  of  the  Mission  more  generally  on  the 
churches  of  the  city.  Mr.  Crittenton  has  been  a 
regular  contributor. 

The  matron  has  had  anxiety  at  times  on  account 
of  pecuniary  stress,  but  through  the  exercise  of  faith 
and  prayer,  the  needed  help  has  come.  At  one  time 
when  the  janitor  had  brought  up  the  last  shuttle  of 
coal,  and  the  matron  was  unwilling  to  go  in  debt  for 
more,  they  knelt  together  in  prayer  on  the  subject, 
and  before  the  fires  were  out  in  the  stoves  a ton  of 
coal  was  sent  in  by  some  unknown  friend  whose  name 
has  never  been  learned.  The  work  has  been  carried 
on  successfully  for  now  nearly  four  years.  On  the  first 


202 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


P'ourth  of  July  after  the  opening  of  the  Mission,  the 
janitor  said  to  the  matron,  “Shall  I light  up  this 
evening,  it  is  a holiday  and  no  one  may  come  in.’’ 
The  matron  replied,  “ The  light  must  never  go  out?  ’’ 
and  just  then,  looking  from  the  window,  she  saw  a 
man  on  the  street  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  As 
he  raised  his  hat  to  wipe  his  forehead  she  was  im- 
pressed with  the  fact  that  his  head  and  face  bore 
traces  of  superior  capacity  and  possibilities,  and  she 
asked  the  janitor  to  kneel  in  prayer  with  her  that 
God  would  convert  his  soul.  The  meeting  was  opened 
as  usual,  and  seven  men  knelt  at  the  altar  that  night, 
among  them  the  man  for  whom  they  had  prayed.  God 
has  acknowledged  and  honored  His  work  from  the 
beginning.  The  Magdalene  feature  has  been  blest  with 
good  results.  Among  our  flrst  inmates  of  the  Home 
was  a young  girl  from  a neighboring  city.  She  came 
alone,  seeking  admission,  nearly  heart-broken  and 
about  to  become  a mother.  Her  betrayer  had  left  the 
city  and  she  was  left  to  bear  her  shame  and  sorrow 
alone,  an  older  brother  had  threatened  to  kill  her  if 
she  stayed  any  longer  in  her  widowed  mother’s  house. 
Her  pale,  tear-stained  face  was  pitiful  to  look  upon 
as  she  told  her  story, 

Although  some  objections  were  made  on  account 
of  her  condition,  more  loving  council  prevailed  and 
she  was  admitted.  A few  weeks  later  her  child  was 
born,  whom  we  christened  “Florence,’’  but  the 
pure,  little  spirit  soon  went  home  to  God.  Shortly 
after  this  the  mother  was  converted,  was  taken  home 
by  the  matron,  who  has  since  kept  up  a correspond- 
ence with  her.  She  is  now  happily  married  to  a 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  203 

“good,  Christian,  young  man.”  In  her  frequent 
letters  she  expresses  gratitude  for  the  dear  Florence 
Mission  and  the  kind  friends  who  helped  her  in  her 
time  of  greatest  need.  Her  conversion  dates  back 
three  years. 

Our  last  inmate  was  “Agnes.”  Her  history  is 
most  remarkable.  One  year  ago  this  coming  June  we 
were  shocked  by  reading  an  account  in  the  papers  of 
a woman,  crazed  and  maddened  by  liquor,  who  had 
Ijeeii  arrested  and  thrown  into  a cell  in  the  county  jail, 
where  for  over  an  hour  the  infuriated  sheriff,  whose 
watch-chain  she  had  broken  in  her  struggles,  deluged 
her  with  water  from  the  hose  which  was  used  in  water- 
ing the  grounds.  The  event  was  very  wittingly  and 
pleasantly  reported  in  the  city  papers.  But  the  ladies 
who  visited  the  jail  for  their  weekly  service  were 
shocked  at  the  sight  of  poor  Agnes,  bruised  and  help- 
less, lying  upon  the  floor  in  the  corridor,  and  quietly, 
with  no  sign  of  passion,  cursing  the  man  who  had  so 
brutally  treated  her.  Was  there  any  hope  for  Agnes  ? 
Could  God’s  grace  reach  this  case?  Yes  ! blessed  be 
His  holy  name,  even  this  case.  A daughter,  of  one  of 
the  ladies  who  visit  the  jail  weekly,  came,  and  kneel- 
ing by  the  bruised  and  wretched  creature,  smoothed 
with  tender  touch  the  poor,  aching  head.  For  many 
days  she  ministered  unto  her  while  sick  and  in  prison. 
Agnes  was  invited  to  come  into  the  Home,  but  re- 
fused, and  on  being  released  from  the  jail  went,  more 
lost  and  desperate  than  ever,  on  her  downward  path. 
In  the  early  days  of  September,  1892,  the  matron  was 
astonished  at  the  coming  of  Agnes,  who  said,  “ I have 
walked  twenty-nine  miles  to  give  myself  up  to  God 


204 


The  traffic  in  girls. 


and  to  you.”  Her  story  since  leaving  New  Brunswick 
I will  repeat  as  she  told  it  to  me.  Agnes  said,  ‘‘  Your 
prayers  and  Mrs.  Dunham’s  followed  me.  Your  faces 
would  come  up  before  me  some  times,  but  not  so  often 
as  Mrs.  Kilmer’s;  she  rose  before  me  often.  I got 
work  at  Long  Branch.  I would  get  up  very  early  in 
the  morning  and  fill  my  apron  with  bottles  of  beer. 
I was  laundress  in  a big  boarding-house,  and  the  mis- 
tress did  not  care  how  much  I drank  if  I could  do  my 
work.  At  last  I drank  too  much.  I left  and  wan- 
dered about  in  my  old  way.  One  afternoon  I said,  I 
will  go  back  to  New  Brunswick,  and  go  into  the  Flor- 
ence Mission  Home.  It  was  about  two  o’clock.  I 
had  no  money,  but  I knew  God  was  leading  me. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  I came  to  a piece  of  woods.  As 
I was  walking  through  it  I felt  happy.  I sang, 
‘Jesus  is  a Rock  in  a weary  land,  a shelter  in  a time 
of  storm.’  When  I got  through  the  woods  there 
were  red  streaks  in  the  west,  the  sun  was  setting  and 
it  was  getting  toward  night.  I looked  all  around  me 
and  saw  no  houses,  only  open  fields  and  pieces  of 
woods,  but  I walked  on  until  at  last,  before  it  got  quite 
dark,  I came  to  a little  house  with  a board  fence  about 
it.  I walked  up  the  path  to  the  door  and  knocked, 
but  no  one  answered  me  ; a dog  came  around  from 
behind  the  house  and  barked  at  me.  I w'ent  back  to 
the  gate,  the  dog  follownng  me  and  barking.  I stood 
outside  the  gate  for  a short  time,  when,  looking  up  the 
road,  I saw  a man  and  woman  coming  ; thej' proved  to 
be  brother  and  sister  (Germans),  who  worked  for  a 
neighboring  farmer  and  owned  this  little  house.  After 
talking  wdth  me  fora  few  minutes  they  asked  me  if  I 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  205 

was  hungry,  and  brought  me  out  a bowl  of  milk,  but 
did  not  ask  me  to  come  in.  By  this  time  it  was  quite 
dark  so  I put  my  cape  around  my  head  and  laid  down 
on  the  ground  outside  the  gate,  saying,  to  myself, 

‘ Well,  Agnes,  as  you  have  made  your  bed  so  you 
must  lie  upon  it.’  I was  falling  asleep  but  was 
awakened  by  hearing  the  dog  sniffing  at  me  through 
the  fence.  I looked  up  and  saw  the  brother  and  sister 
looking  down  at  me.  They  said.  The  wind  is  rising, 
it  is  getting  cold,  3'ou  had  better  come  in.’  They 
gave  me  a good  bed  in  the  kitchen,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing a good  breakfast,  after  w'hich  I started  on  my  way 
toward  New  Brunswick.” 

In  telling  this  story  one  thing  seemed  to  impress 
Agnes  as  remarkable,  that  she  met  no  one  that  an- 
noyed her,  and  that  her  way  seemed  to  be  made  so 
plain  before  her.  Also  the  strange  feeling  of  happi- 
ness in  her  heart,  and  that  God  was  leading  her. 
Agnes  gave  herself  up  to  God,  and  we  prayed  that 
the  appetite  for  liquor  might  be  taken  from  her, 
which  was  done,  and  for  six  months,  until  a few  days 
ago,  Agnes  has  been  an  inmate  of  the  Home.  The 
matron  has  fitted  up  for  her  a humble  little  home,  and 
she  is  supporting  herself  by  honest  labor. 

Ellen  L.  Kilbourn, 

Supt.  Florence  Mission. 

THE  SEWING  SCHOOL. 

The  Florence  Mission  Sewing  School  was  organized 
in  the  spring  of  1889  with  fifteen  scholars  on  the  roll, 
ranging  in  age  from  three  to  ten  years  ; most  of  them 
entirely  innocent  of  the  use  of  the  needle.  Our  hopes 


2o6 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


were  high  although  the  material  we  tried  to  mould 
seemed  at  first  almost  discouraging.  Beginning  with 
patchwork,  we  led  them  through  the  various  stages 
of  ordinary  sewing  until  the  making  of  much  needed 
garments  was  reached,  in  each  case  the  child  making 
something  for  herself,  and  their  delight  when  the  com- 
pleted garments  can  be  carried  home  in  triumph,  must 
be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  It  would  delight  your 
motherly  hearts  to  see  one  of  our  youngest  members, 
a little  German  girl  of  five  years,  bending  over  the 
long  seam  of  a skirt  she  is  so  anxious  to  finish  before 
vacation,  her  work  pinned  to  her  knee,  a fixed  look  of 
determination  on  the  little  face  that  each  stitch  must 
be  exact.  And  these  same  stitches  might  put  older 
fingers  to  shame.  We  like  to  give  them  an  occasional 
treat,  for  they  well  deserve  it.  We  have  had  a Christ- 
mas-tree each  year  and  thank  heartily  all  those  who 
helped  us  with  their  generous  donations,  especially 
remembering  Mrs.  George  C.  Ludlow,  who  sent  us 
twenty-four  articles  of  clothing  which  she  had  made, 
and  Mrs.  Swift,  who  sent  a towel  and  cake  of  soap  for 
each  one.  Mrs.  Weir  kindly  donated  mittens. 

During  the  warm  summer  months  we  take  a vaca- 
tion, and  at  the  close  of  last  year  Mrs.  J.  J.  Janeway 
invited  us  to  spend  an  afternoon  on  her  beautiful 
grounds. 

The  children  were  conveyed  in  a stage,  and  after 
enjoying  themselves  with  games,  refreshments  were 
served,  and  each  carried  home  a bouquet  of  flowers. 

Many  of  those  who  flrst  came  to  us  are  working, 
but  we  now  number  seventy  on  the  roll  ; and  clean 
faces  and  hands,  and  clean,  if  not  whole  dresses,  are 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  207 

seen  almost  without  exception.  That  the  hour  and  a 
half  each  Saturday  is  not  wasted,  may  be  shown  by 
the  number  of  garments  that  have  been  made  during 
the  last  year,  although  we  were  obliged  to  close  the 
school  for  six  weeks  on  account  of  the  scarlet  fever. 

“ Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these,  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.” 

Miss  Sarah  Stoddard, 

Supt.  White  Sewing  School. 

FLORENCE  MISSION  SABBATH  SCHOOL. 

The  Sabbath  School  was  organized  August  24, 
1890.  The  average  number  enrolled  in  the  primary 
school  is  35,  the  average  attendance  30.  In  the  Bible 
class,  the  average  number  enrolled  is  20,  the  average 
attendance  16. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Sabbath 
School  for  charts  ; to  the  Runsen  Avenue  Baptist 
Sabbath  School  for  papers  and  other  supplies,  and  to 
the  Hope  Mission  for  cards. 

The  epidemic  of  scarlet  fever  and  a number  of 
deaths  occurring  among  the  children,  have  interfered 
somewhat  with  the  work  of  the  school  since  its  or- 
ganization, yet  the  results  obtained  during  the  past 
few  months  have  been  very  gratifying.  The  teachers 
have  been  faithful  in  their  attendance  and  untiring  in 
their  efforts  to  bring  about  the  results  we  are  striving 
to  accomplish.  The  improvement  in  the  attendance 
and  attention  of  the  pupils  has  been  marked,  and  they 
deserve  great  credit  for  the  interest  they  have 
manifested.  The  school  is  organized  as  follows : 
Superintendent,  Mr.  J.  R.  Van  Natta ; Assistant 


2o8 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Superintendent,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Kilboum  ; Assistant  in 
Primary  Department,  Miss  M.  B.  MacEaury ; Teach- 
ers in  Primary  Department,  Miss  E.  Johnson,  Miss  M. 
L.  Bowne,  Miss  S.  Langdon. 

COLORED  SEWING  SCHOOL. 

The  colored  school  was  organized  on  June  19th, 
1891,  with  Mrs.  Thomas  Greenwood  as  superintend- 
ent. It  has  on  roll  thirty-one — five  teachers  and 
twenty-six  scholars.  We  have  an  average  attendance 
of  eighteen.  During  the  year  the  scholars  have  fin- 
ished twenty-eight  work  bags,  twenty  pieces  of  under- 
wear and  thirteen  aprons.  They  are  given  all  the 
articles  that  they  make.  We  have  given  seven  enter- 
tainments to  the  children.  One  was  a treat ; at 
another  Mr.  Janeway  kindly  gave  them  a magician- 
tern  exhibition,  and  at  the  holidays  thej'  had  refresh- 
ments and  a Christmas-tree,  from  which  each  received 
a gift.  Thanks  to  Miss  Louisa  Warren  for  a large 
sewing-box. 

We  have  received,  by  donation,  several  pieces  of 
goods  and  $9.02  in  cash,  and  have  paid  $8,22  for 
goods  used  in  the  school,  leaving  a balance  on  hand 
of  $0.80. 

We  want  to  thank  the  friends  who  have  helped  us 
in  the  past,  and  we  will  be  very  glad  of  their  assist- 
ance in  the  future,  as  you  will  see  by  the  balance 
we  are  in  need  of  money,  and  will  be  glad  to  receive 
contributions  at  aii}^  time. 

Mrs.  Charles  W.  Greenwood, 

Secretary. 


FLOREINCK  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


209 


OPEN  AIR  meetings. 

In  the  year  1890  a series  of  open  air  meetings  was 
begun  at  the  factories  during  the  noon  hour.  A 
meeting  was  held  every  noon  and  was  well  attended 
by  both  men  and  women.  A portion  of  the  Script- 
ures was  read,  a few  hymns  were  sung  and  then  a 
plain  exhortation  was  given  to  cease  from  sin  and  come 
to  Christ.  Tracts  were  distributed  to  all  present  and 
Testaments  to  such  as  would  ask  for  them. 

A great  deal  of  opposition  was  made  by  the  rum 
power.  The  saloon-keeper  who  was  making  a living 
by  enticing  the  factory  hands  into  his  place,  one  day 
came  out  determined  to  break  up  the  meeting. 
Throwing  both  hands  up  in  the  air  he  gave  a vile 
shout  and  began  to  dance  to  attract  the  attention  of 
those  who  were  listening  to  the  Gospel.  He,  not  suc- 
ceeding in  disturbing  the  meeting  in  this  way,  asked 
me  if  I intended  to  break  up  his  business.  I said  it 
would  please  me  very  much  if  God  would  use  me  to 
do  so.  And  He  did  ; for  in  a few  weeks  the  saloon 
was  closed. 

At  another  meeting  a man  very  drunk  came  out 
from  a saloon  evidently  to  disturb  the  meeting.  As 
he  neared  the  place  where  I was  standing,  Bible  in 
hand,  I lifted  up  my  heart  to  God  in  a silent  prayer, 
and  the  Lord  brought  help.  Three  hundred  people 
were  gathered,  and  turning  to  these,  pointing  at  the 
man,  I said  : “ Choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will 
serve.”  Look  at  him  and  see  what  the  devil  has  done 
for  him,  and  then  look  at  me  and  see  what  the  Lord 
has  done  for  me.  The  man  went  away  ashamed  and 
a great  impression  was  made  that  day. 


210 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Meetings  were  also  held  every  Sunday  afternoon 
at  5 o’clock  on  Handy  street  with  good  results.  There 
were  large  gatherings  to  listen  to  the  music  of  organ  and 
the  singing  of  the  hymns.  An  invitation  was  given 
at  the  close  of  every  meeting  to  come  to  Christ  for 
pardon,  and  many  were  the  hands  held  up  for  prayers 
during  these  meetings.  At  every  meeting  an  invita- 
tion was  given  to  visit  our  different  churches  and 
missions.  As  a result  of  these  meetings  an  old  lady 
of  seventy  was  soundly  convicted  and  united  with 
the  Baptist  church. 

In  conclusion  let  me  tell  you  the  story  of  a Testa- 
ment, Last  year  I gave  a five-cent  Testament  to  one 
of  our  converts,  who  took  it  to  his  home,  and  nightly, 
after  finishing  his  day’s  work,  he  would  read  a chap- 
ter in  the  book.  A young  man  who  was  working  in 
the  same  place  and  roomed  with  him,  asked  the  name 
of  the  book  he  was  so  constantly  reading.  He  then 
handed  him  the  book,  saying,  “ It  is  a Testament,  and 
that  is  what  made  me  a man.  ’ ’ His  room-mate,  from  that 
night,  also  began  to  read  in  the  Testament,  and  a short 
time  after  bought  a Bible,  became  convinced  of  his 
sins,  and  was  converted.  He  united  himself  with  the 
Baptist  church  and  gave  his  life  to  the  Master’s  serv- 
ice, and  a few  months  ago  left  this  countr}"  as  a Mis- 
sionary to  Denmark. 

I wish  to  thank  the  Christian  Workers  of  this 
city  who  so  faithfully  helped  us  in  our  open  air  work 
last  summer,  and  all  other  departments.  They  shall 
not  lose  their  reward.  Carl  E.  Peterson, 

Assistant  Superinte7ident. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


2II 


The  faithful  treasurer,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Pratt,  reports  the 
annual  average  expense  as  about  $i  ,000.  All  who  know 
the  hard  work  done  by  the  treasurer  of  any  philan- 
thropic organization,  must  realize  the  good  service  of 
Mrs.  Pratt. 

The  following  clipping  from  a New  Brunswick 
paper,  explains  itself: 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  at  the  time  of  the 
consolidation  of  the  Florence  Mission  work  with  the 
People’s  Work  the  Florence  Mission  was  unembar- 
rassed by  any  debt.  There  was  money  enough  in  the 
treasury  to  pay  all  the  outstanding  debts  of  the  Mis- 
sion, and  in  addition  to  this  our  superintendent,  Mrs. 
F.  L.  Kilbourn,  had  a check  for  one  hundred  dollars, 
which  had  been  sent  for  use  of  our  mission  by  Mr. 
Crittenton,  of  New  York.  This  was  turned  over  to 
the  treasury  of  the  People’s  Work  as  a donation  from 
our  Board,  and  w^as  perhaps  the  first  contribution  re- 
ceived by  the  treasury  of  the  People’s  Work. 

The  Florence  Mission,  at  the  time  of  the  final  dis- 
solution of  the  Board  and  consolidation  of  the  work 
with  the  People’s  movement,  was  in  much  better  con- 
dition than  when  its  work  began.  Our  work  had 
commended  itself  to  all  classes  in  the  cit}^  and  our 
meetings  were  usually  well  attended,  and  there  was 
no  good  reason  or  necessity  on  the  part  of  the  Flor- 
ence Mission  for  consolidating  with  the  People’s  Work 
except  this : Many  of  the  leading  Christian  workers 
of  the  city  felt  that  it  would  be  for  the  general  good 
of  the  cause  of  Christ  if  all  the  mission  work  of  the 
city  could  be  consolidated  under  one  head,  and  man- 
aged by  one  general  committee  or  board  of  trustees. 


212 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


For  the  general  good  of  the  cause  which  the  Florence 
Crittenton  Mission  represented,  and  in  order  to  unite 
all  the  mission  workers  of  the  city  in  such  general 
organization  as  that  proposed  by  the  new  movement, 
to  be  known  as  the  People’s  Work,  the  Florence  Mis- 
sion Board  voted  to  discontinue  its  separate  existence 
and  suffer  the  work  to  be  done  under  the  auspices  of 
the  People’s  Work.  The  Florence  Crittenton  Mission, 
as  a separate  organization,  by  vote  of  the  Board,  ceased 
to  exist  with  the  following  understanding  : 

1.  First,  that  ever^'  branch  of  Christian  work  con- 
ducted by  the  Florence  Mission  would  be  continued 
by  the  People’s  Work. 

2.  That  Mrs.  E.  E.  Kilbourn,  who,  from  the  begin- 
ning, had  been  the  superintendent  and  leading  spirit 
of  the  Florence  Mission  work,  would  be  employed  by 
the  People’s  Work. 

3.  That  the  work  of  Mrs.  Kilbourn,  in  connection 
with  the  People’s  Work,  would  be  under  the  super- 
vision of  a special  committee,  to  whom  all  her  reports 
would  be  submitted. 

4.  That  the  evening  evangelical  work,  heretofore 
conducted  at  the  Florence  Mission  room,  would  be 
continued  so  long  as  the  interest  in  the  meetings  there, 
in  the  estimation  of  the  managers  of  the  People’s 
Work,  justified  such  continuation. 

5.  That  the  name  Flore7ice  Crittenton  Mission" 
would  be  retahied  in  connectio?i  with  the  Missioii 
alluded  to. 

6.  That  the  propert}"  of  the  Florence  Mission 
would  be  disposed  of  by  Mrs.  Kilbourn  for  the  good  cf 


PLORENCB  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  2T3 

the  cause  of  Christ,  as  her  wisdom  and  faith  may 
suggest. 

Thanks  to  all  who  have  contributed  or  otherwise 
assisted  in  making  the  Florence  Mission  work  a 
success,  that  we  feel  it  has  been,  and  prajung  for 
God’s  blessing  to  rest  abundantly  upon  the  People’s 
Work,  our  report  as  called  for  is  herein 

Respectfully  submitted. 

Rev.  M.  V.  McDuffie, 

Mrs.  E.  E.  Kilbourn, 

Committee. 

SAN  JOSE,  CALIFORNIA. 

ACROSTIC. 

i^lowers  forever  live,  to  spread  their  rich  perfume, 
Zily,  violet  and  rose  for  aye  their  sweetness  shed 
O’er  men — when  dying  they  but  cease  to  bloom, 
7?obbed  only  of  their  form — their  fragrance  is  not 
dead. 

^■ven  so  she  lives  for  aye — the  child  whose  name  we 
bear. 

Wever  bloomed  a lovelier  flower  while  here  on  earth. 
Changed  by  the  alchemy  of  death  she  passed  up 
there, 

Cver  to  stay  with  us — Her  dying  gives  this  Mission 
birth.  H.  G.  Pendleton. 

The  San  Jose  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  sprang 
from  Mr.  Crittenton’s  wonderful  evangelistic  work. 
During  his  trip  “Around  the  world  with  Jesus,” 
though  in  poor  health,  he  frequently  spoke  on  the  res- 
cue work,  and  God  wonderfully  blessed  his  words,  but 


214 


'The  traffic  in  girls. 


he  was  destined  to  be  the  instrument  in  God’s  hand  of 
gaining  marvelous  triumphs  for  Christ  in  his  own  land. 
When  he  arrived  in  San  Francisco,  from  Japan,  he  went 
to  San  Jose  to  see  an  old  school  friend,  expecting  to 
take  the  train  the  next  day  for  New  York.  But  God 
had  ordered  it  otherwise.  He  dropped  into  the  Y. 
M,  C.  A.  meetings  and  becoming  interested,  found 
himself  staying  day  after  day  and  testifying  for  Christ, 
and  then  as  the  people  were  more  and  more  attracted 
to  him,  a tent  was  secured,  and  San  Jose  was  shaken 
from  center  to  circumference  by  a revival.  Among 
the  many  notable  converts  was  Dr.  Ellen  J.  Smith, 
who  had  been  a Christian  but  was  far  away  from 
Christ  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Crittenton’s  meetings.  One 
night  she  heard  the  preaching  and  contrite  in  heart 
she  bowed  at  the  altar  and  pleaded  for  forgiveness  and 
rose  from  her  knees  a re-consecrated  woman.  The 
interest  in  the  meetings  was  so  intense  that  the  w’ork- 
ers  decided  to  organize  a Florence  Crittenton  Mission. 

The  following  were  the  officers ; Dr.  Ellen  J. 
Smith,  President,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Knox,  Vice-President, 
Wm.  E.  Ward,  Secretary,  Wm.  Fruhling,  Treasurer, 
Wm.  Chappell,  Superintendent.  All  baptized  with  the 
love  of  Christ,  who  said,  “ Bring  in  hither  the  poor, 
and  the  maimed,  and  the  halt,  and  the  blind.” 

The  Mission  was  opened  with  great  rejoicing  at 
27  Fountain  street,  July  ii,  1890.  Dr.  Smith  served 
faithfully,  as  President,  until  God  called  her  to  "come 
up  higher,”  March  8,  1892.  Her  last  sickness  of  ten 
long  weeks  was  patiently  borne,  and  at  last  she  lifted 
her  transparent  hands  to  heaven  and  wearily  said,  ‘‘Oh 
Father,  I’m  so  tired,  take  me  home;  ” and  the  weeping 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSION,  SAN  JOSE,  CALIFORNIA. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


215 


friends  from  Florence  Mission  smiled  through  their 
tears  as  they  realized  that  she  had  entered  “ the  rest 
that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God.”  Her  funeral 
was  a Florence  Crittenton  funeral,  Rev.  Dr.  F.  F. 
Jewell,  and  Mr.  Crittenton,  officiating,  and  as  the 
friends  and  converts  burst  into  weeping  as  they  gazed 
on  the  sweet  pale  face,  all  realized  that  the  ties  of 
Christian  work  and  love  are  stronger  than  the  ties  of 
blood. 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  Knox  then  became  President,  and 
Mrs.  S.  G.  Shatter,  Vice-President.  Both  these 
ladies  are  stanch  white-ribboners,  as  are  also  Mrs. 
John  T.  Bell,  Mrs.  Emma  McLellan,  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Baird,  Mrs.  J.  E.  Peel,  and  Mrs.  B.  Sturtevant  Peet, 
President  California  W.  C.  T.  U.,  who  have  all 
labored  incessantly  for  the  Social  Purity  work.  It 
was  in  San  Jose  that  Mr.  Crittenton  donned  the  white 
ribbon,  at  the  solicitation  of  Mrs.  Emma  McEellan, 
becoming  an  honorary  member  of  the  Eucy  Webb 
Hayes  W.  C.  T.  U.  How  little  Mrs.  McLellan 
dreamed  that  from  that  membership  such  momentous 
good  was  to  come  to  the  cause  of  social  purity  by 
belting  Mr.  Crittenton’s  Missions  to  the  W.  C.  T.  U. 
machinery.  Mrs.  McLellan,  like  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Teats 
and  Mrs.  H.  E.  McMath,  is  one  of  the  few  workers 
who  shelter  the  erring  girls  and  the  fallen  boys  in  her 
own  house,  literally  treating  them  as  she  would  Christ, 
whom  they  represent  by  the  “ Inasmuch.” 

Could  any  church  have  more  meetings  and  activ- 
ities than  these  shown  in  the  following  report  of  last 
year’s  work  of  one  who  modestly  signs  himself  ‘‘A 
Worker.” 


2I6 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


regular  service. 

Street  meeting  at  7:30  p.  m.,  daily. 

Gospel  Meeting  every  night  in  the  year  commenc- 
ing at  7:45. 

Noonday  Meeting  12  to  12:45,  except  Sunday. 

Consecration  Meeting  every  Wednesday  at  3 p.  m. 

Saturday  12  to  12:45,  Exposition  Sunday  School 
Eesson,  by  Dr.  Dinsmore. 

Sunday  School  every  Sunda}^  at  3 p.  in. 

Mr.  C.  W.  Needham,  Superintendent  of  Sunday 
School. 

The  Second  Anniversary  service  took  place  Sun- 
day, July  loth,  at  3 p.  M.,  in  the  Baptist  Tabernacle 
and  at  7:30  p.  M.  in  the  M.  E.  Church.  Both 
churches  were  filled  to  overflowing  and  much  interest 
manifested  in  the  work.  Brother  Dawson  published 
a very  attractive  little  anniversary  paper  in  which  the 
statistics  for  the  year  were  given. 

Immediately  after  the  Anniversary  sendee  Rev. 
T.  H.  Lawson  who  had  conducted  the  meetings  at 
the  Mission  for  nearly  a year,  felt  led  to  resign.  His 
resignation  was  accepted  with  deep  regret  b}’’  the 
Mission  Board. 

Brother  Lawson  is  a speaker  and  singer  of  rare 
ability.  He  felt  God  called  him  into  the  Prohibition 
party  work,  realizing  that  only  thus  can  the  traffic  in 
girls  be  prevented.  He  with  his  gifted  wife  had 
labored  faithfully  and  God  had  greatly  blessed  the 
Mission  under  their  labors.  Brother  C.  C.  Reynolds 
next  took  charge  of  the  services  of  the  Mission  and 
labored  with  success  and  acceptation  for  several 
weeks  when  he  was  called  by  his  church  (Friends)  to 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  217 

become  their  evangelist  for  the  Pacific  Coast.  Evan- 
gelist Bell  next  took  charge  and  conducted  the  meet- 
ings for  some  time.  It  was  during  his  services  that 
the  noonday  prayer-meetings  were  begun,  which 
have  proved  a great  blessing,  and  have  had  an  aver- 
age attendance  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five.  These 
meetings  are  still  continued  and  are  growing  in  inter- 
est and  power.  We  are  praying  that  the  business 
men  may  become  interested  in  these  meetings  and  fill 
up  the  hall  each  noonday. 

Mr.  E.  G.  Northup  was  the  Mission  evangelist  for 
a number  of  months,  leaving  in  January  to  engage  in 
other  duties,  since  which  time  the  whole  burden  of 
the  work  (from  a human  standpoint)  has  been  borne 
by  the  superintendent.  Brother  Wm.  Chappell.  Too 
much  praise  cannot  be  given  to  this  earnest  Christian 
man  who  attends  to  his  business  from  early  morning 
until  the  evening,  then  away  to  the  street  meeting, 
then  to  the  Mission  and  remains  to  the  close  of  the 
service,  oftentimes  until  nearly  midnight,  and  this  is 
done  seven  nights  in  a week.  For  compensation  he 
has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  what  is  done  is 
as  unto  the  Lord,  and  then,  too,  he  has  the  privilege 
of  helping  to  support  the  Mission  financially,  which 
he  heartily  enjoys.  We  say  God  bless  him  and  those 
who  labor  with  him  in  the  work.  This  includes 
C.  W.  Needham,  S.  S.  superintendent  and  the  Board 
of  Directors,  who  are  bending  every  energy  to  make 
the  Mission  successful.  The  ministers  of  the  local 
churches  are  helping  the  work  by  their  presence  at 
the  meetings  and  their  preaching. 


2i8 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


DOES  IT  PAY? 
STATISTICAL  REPORT. 


Attendance 31,943 

Professed  conversions 184 

Asked  to  be  prayed  for 330 

Testimonies  given 5,420 


Much  care  has  been  taken  to  account  for  onlj^ 
thosewho  were  considered  converted.  Most  of  the  one 
hundred  and  eighty-four  are  members  of  good  stand- 
ing in  San  Jose  churches. 

This  work  has  been  conducted  on  a grand  scale 
and  at  a small  cost.  Notice  the  following  : 

YEARLY  FINANCIAL  REPORT. 

San  Jose,  July  ii,  1893. 

Received  from  subscriptions,  donations  and  collec- 


tions for  general  Mission  work $ 940.30 

By  overdraft  on  Treasurer 100.00 

Total $1,040  30 

CASH  EXPENDED. 

By  overdraft  on  Treasurer,  July  II,  1S92 $ 30.30 

Rents 480.00 

Janitor 96.00 

Evangelists 200,00 

Light 144.00 

For  wood,  printing,  furniture  and  incidentals,  etc.  . 90.00 

Total $1,040.30 


With  all  the  expensive  and  elaborate  machinery  of 
the  church  we  doubt  any  better  results  at  the  cost 
per  soul  of  five  dollars  sixty-five  cents.  What  is  the 
value  of  a soul  ? Jesus  rates  it  higher  than  the  whole 
world.  Florence  Crittenton  Missions  win  many  hun- 
dreds at  a little  more  than  five  dollars  apiece.  Dear 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


219 


friend,  did  you  ever  know  a better  investment  ? Don’t 
you  want  to  invest  a few  five-dollar  gold  pieces  in 
souls,  which  give  you  such  a marvelous  dividend. 

SACRAMENTO,  CALIFORNIA. 

So  marked  was  the  blessing  of  God  upon  Mr. 
Crittenton’s  evangelistic  work  that,  like  the  deeds 
and  words  of  his  divine  Master,  “ the  fame  thereof 
went  abroad  into  all  that  land,” — showing  the  won- 
drous powers  of  the  press — and  the  Macedonian  cries, 

‘ ‘ Come  over  and  help  us,  ’ ’ poured  in  upon  him  like 
an  avalanche.  As  Mr.  Crittenton  gives  his  services 
freely,  never  receiving  a penny  in  return,  the  influence 
upon  business  men,  who  will  not  hear  other  evan- 
gelists (for,  as  they  say,  “It  is  their  business,  that 
is  the  way  they  make  their  living ; of  course  they 
are  earnest  in  it,  just  like  I am  in  my  business,  for 
the  money  there  is  in  it”)  is  most  marked.  Often 
have  we  heard  them  say,  “Well,  if  Crittenton  has 
found  more  happiness  in  religion  than  in  money,  I 
want  to  hear  about  it.”  Thank  God,  they  have  gone 
to  the  meetings  and  heard  about  it,  and  large  numbers 
have  been  converted.  Mr.  Crittenton  is  often  called 
the  “ Apostle  to  business  men,”  for  he  realizes  how 
absorbing  the  pursuit  of  wealth  is,  and  he  often. quotes 
the  words  of  Christ,  “Children,  how  hard  is  it  for 
them  that  trust  in  riches  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God.” 

So  instead  of  Mr.  Crittenton  staying  twenty-four 
hours  in  California,  his  stay  was  over  three  years, 
perhaps  the  most  fruitful  of  his  life,  for  all  evangeli- 
cal churches  in  many  cities  united  in  Union  meetings 


2 20 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


under  his  leadership,  and  God  gave  him  thousands 
and  thousands  of  souls  for  his  hire. 

Not  only  is  he  thankful  for  the  privilege  of  preach- 
ing freely,  but  he  is  glad  to  pay  for  the  opportunity. 
Some  years  ago  the  Pacific  Coast  Holiness  Associa- 
tion dedicated  Beulah  Park,  Oakland,  to  God’s  serv- 
ice, an  area  of  about  eight  acres,  and  held  camp-meet- 
ings there  every  summer  for  years.  At  last  the  Asso- 
ciation, becoming  impoverished,  were  not  able  to  make 
the  last  payment  on  the  land  and  were  about  to  lose 
it,  and  to  their  horror  it  was  rumored  that  it  was  to  be 
bought  for  a beer  garden,  and  thus  the  dedicated  spot 
become  desecrated  by  the  orgies  of  the  wicked  and 
depraved. 

Imagine  their  delight  then,  w’hen  Brothers  Crit- 
tenton  and  Dennett  bought  Beulah  Park,  and  every 
summer  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  rings  out  among 
the  beautiful  trees,  and  the  white  tents  of  the  campers 
make  a pretty  picture.  Mr.  Crittenton  himself  con- 
ducts a camp-meeting  here  every  summer  and  then 
freely  gives  the  use  of  Beulah  Park  to  all  denomina- 
tions of  Christians  for  holding  meetings.  He  is  as- 
sisted by  pastors  of  all  the  churches  and  annually 
hundreds  here  start  heavenward.  The  Florence  Crit- 
tenton Mission  day  results  in  many  gifts  of  monej^and 
subscriptions,  often  ladies  giving  valuable  jewelry 
to  help  their  erring  sisters.  As  Rev.  Dr.  Bentley  says, 
the  loveliest  trait  of  his  character  which  gives  him 
such  great  power  is  his  lovableness,  so  that  all  his  co- 
workers in  the  churches  and  the  Missions,  think  as  a 
dear  little  girl  said,  “ Mamma,  don’t  you  think  Jesus 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


221 


when  he  was  on  earth  must  have  been  like  Brother 
Crittenton  ?” 

The  motto  of  his  every  act  is  ‘ ‘ L,et  us  love  people 
into  the  Kingdom.” 

So  Mr.  Crittenton  found  great  opportunities  in 
California  for  preaching  Christ,  and  the  meetings  held 
in  Sacramento  by  himself  and  his  faithful  yoke-fellow, 
Bro.  J.  Carpenter,  were  of  the  deepest  interest,  and 
resulted  in  the  practical  work  of  founding  the  Florence 
Crittenton  Mission  at  Sacramento,  whose  early  history 
we  have  as  follows  from  Rev.  A.  C.  Bane,  one  of  the 
stanchest  friends  of  the  rescue  wprk. 

The  preliminary  meeting  was  called  by  Bro.  Crit- 
tenton of  all  Christian  people,  about  the  ist  of  De- 
cember, 1890.  It  was  held  in  the  Methodist  Church 
South,  Rev.  A.  C.  Bane,  Pastor.  Nine  hundred  dol- 
lars subscribed  that  day  for  the  first  years’  work. 
Twenty-five  hundred  dollars  was  raised  and  expended 
the  first  year.  Rev.  G.  P.  Tyndall  and  Rev.  A.  C. 
Bane  appointed  a committee  with  Brother  Crittenton 
and  Bro.  J.  Carpenter  to  procure  a place. 

The  last  three  served  and  decided  the  Mission 
ought  to  be  in  Third  street  between  J and  K ; and  the 
best  spot  was  occupied  by  a saloon.  Brother  Carpen- 
ter suggested  that  the  three  go  to  the  room  of  Brother 
Crittenton  and  pray  God  to  put  that  saloon-keeper 
out  and  allow  the  gospel  to  be  preached  there.  On 
the  second  day  after  that  a sign  ‘‘  To  Let”  was  seen 
on  the  door  and  the  prayer  had  been  answered. 
Brothers  Crittenton,  Carpenter  and  Bane  procured 
the  key,  went  in,  and  stood  in  the  center  of  the  dirty 
floor  and  with  uncovered  heads  sang,  ‘ ‘ Praise  God, 


222 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


from  whom  all  blessings  flow,”  and  silently  dedicated 
the  place  to  God. 

It  was  soon  put  into  shape  for  the  Mission.  A 
board  of  directors  was  selected,  one  from  each  of  nine 
churches,  and  R.  S.  Marshall,  a young  mechanic,  a 
member  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South,  was  elected 
Superintendent  of  the  Mission. 

It  was  opened  December  13,  i8go,  house  crowded. 
Brother  Crittenton  opened  the  word  ; the  local  pastors 
were  present.  It  was  a meeting  of  great  power, 
many  in  tears,  two  happy  conversions,  both  still 
following  Jesus,  and  one  of  them,  Brother  Hadix 
preaching  the  gospel.  The  Board  of  Directors  was 
organized  with  R.  S.  Marshall,  Superintendent,  Chair- 
man, Mrs.  J.  H.  Glide,  Secretary,  and  J.  H.  Huntoon, 
Treasurer,  W.  M.  Jenks  and  Mrs.  Hesser.  Mrs. 
Glide  was  a large  contributor  to  the  Mission  and  did 
much  to  make  it  the  grands  uccess  it  was  from  the 
start,  having  crowded  houses  every  night,  and  Mr. 
Marshall  the  Superintendent  proved  the  right  man. 
Street  meetings  were  held  each  night,  preceded  by  a 
short  prayer-meeting,  and  the  main  meeting  lasted 
till  about  II  o’clock.  About  eight  hundred  converts 
were  enrolled  the  first  year.  The  Mission  became  the 
center  of  spiritual  life. 

The  best  workers  in  the  Mission  were  the  new 
converts.  All  the  churches  that  participated  in  the 
work  were  blest  by  the  additions  received  from  the 
Mission. 

Sacramento  will  ever  be  grateful  to  God  for  send- 
ing Brother  Crittenton  to  .found  the  Florence  Crit- 
tenton Mission. 


FLORENCE  CRILTENTON  MISSIONS. 


223 


[Daily  Record  Union,  Monday,  Dec.  19,  1892.] 

SECOND  ANNIVERSARY  OF  FLORENCE  CRITTENTON 
MISSION,  SACRAMENTO,  CAL. 

The  celebration  of  the  second  anniversary  of  the 
establishment  of  the  Sacramento  Florence  Mission 
yesterday  afternoon  at  the  Congregational  church 
was  an  event  of  marked  interest,  and  the  large  audi- 
ence that  filled  the  church  shows  how  popular  is  this 
form  of  religious  work.  Charles  N.  Crittenton,  the 
founder  of  seven  Florence  Missions,  presided  with 
his  characteristic  ability.  The  song  service,  in  which 
the  audience  joined,  was  much  enjoyed.  Rev.  Mr. 
Dodge  offered  prayer,  especially  invoking  the  Divine 
blessing  on  Mr.  Crittenton  and  the  other  noble 
workers  of  Florence  Crittenton  Mission. 

Mrs.  J.  H.  Glide,  the  efficient  President  of  the 
Mission,  read  an  interesting  report,  in  which  the  cold 
figures  represent  a flood  of  human  happiness.  Fol- 
lowing are  the  approximate  figures  for  the  year 
ending  December  13,  1892  : Attendance,  49,000 ; 
professed  conversion,  250 ; asked  to  be  prayed  for, 
1,100;  visits  made,  1,900;  lodgings,  144;  tracts 
( pages),  41,000  ; meals  furnished,  300  ; Bibles,  Testa- 
ments and  books,  117;  articles  of  clothing  given 
away,  390;  expenses,  $2,131. 

The  attendance  of  forty-nine  thousand  represents 
only  seven  months,  and  that  through  the  summer 
months,  when  the  attendance  was  lightest.  The 
meals  and  lodgings  were  paid  for  by  private  means, 
and  not  one  dollar  has  been  taken  from  the  subscrip- 
tions. Through  this  aid  many  worthy  men  have  been 


224 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


kept  from  evil  ways  and  helped  to  get  work.  A great 
many  of  the  converts  have  been  young  men,  often 
from  the  best  families.  Sometimes  they  had  become 
prodigals  and  were  deep  in  sin,  but  through  the  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Mission  they  reformed,  gave  up  gam- 
bling and  drunkenness  and  impure  lives,  and  several 
have  organized  Sunday  Schools  and  Missions  and  are 
most  active  Christians.  Many  young  ladies,  too,  of 
good  social  position,  who  having  come  first  through 
curiosity,  or  with  Christian  workers,  have  been  con- 
verted. 

“No  years  of  my  own  life,’’  said  Mr.  Crittenton, 
“have  been  happier  than  these  two  in  Florence  Mis- 
sion, for  a wondrous  love  has  filled  my  heart,  and  if 
all  Christians  knew  this  gladness  they  w’ould  come 
and  help  us,  for  we  so  sadly  need  their  aid.  Mrs. 
Glide  has  labored  with  untiring  zeal,  and,  together 
with  Rev.  G.  B.  Ballentine  and  wife,  Mr.  Jeuks,  Mrs. 
Hesser,  Mr.  John  F.  Gromer  and  Superintendent  T. 
H.  Armour  and  others,  have  made  possible  the  grand 
results.’’ 

Mr.  Crittenton  said  that  often  in  his  travels  over 
the  Pacific  coast  he  had  found  converts  of  Florence 
Missions,  many  of  them  talented  and  refined  men  and 
women — journalists,  lawyers,  merchants  and  all  pro- 
fessions being  represented. 

Rev.  J.  B.  Koehne,  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
church,  electrified  his  audience  by  the  radical  sermon 
upon  the  necessity  of  the  church  doing  more  thorough 
rescue  work.  The  church,  he  said,  seems  to  be  in  a 
hazy  dream  and  just  awakening  from  its  apathetic 
sleep  to  grasp  the  magnificent  opportunities  pre- 


FLORENCE  CRITTFNTON  MISSIONS. 


225 


sented  by  these  Florence  Missions  and  the  Salvation 
army — God  bless  them — to  raise  the  fallen.  These 
movements  herald  the  time  when  the  church  is  not 
entirely  represented  by  the  clergy,  but  by  consecrated 
men  and  women.  The  laity  are  going  down  to  men 
and  women  lost  in  sin,  and  saying,  “ I love  you,  God 
loves  you,”  and  are  thus  winning  thousands.  They 
indeed  realize  that  the  church  was  made  for  man,  not 
man  for  the  church  ; and  grander  than  any  cathedral 
ever  erected  is  the  baby  whose  tiny  body  encases  a 
soul.  Let  us  remember  that  even  an  ordinary  man  is 
a man,  and  every  inch  a king. 

The  church  does  not  realize  her  power.  If  Chris- 
tian voters  would  put  their  convictions  and  their 
righteousness  into  the  ballot-box  against  the  hordes 
of  wicked  voters  that  rule  our  land,  they  could  exter- 
minate the  liquor  traffic  in  one  election.  Those  boys 
staggering  in  drunkenness  through  our  streets  are 
our  boys  and  worth  saving.  These  poor,  erring  girls, 
whose  hollow  laughter  betrays  the  breaking  hearts  of 
lost  womanhood,  have  every  one  a soul  so  precious 
that  Christ  died  to  save  them. 

These  Florence  Mission  workers  go  down  to  these 
despairing  ones,  giving  that  which  is  grander  than 
the  grandest  organ  — the  clasp  of  a warm  hand, 
music  more  beautiful  than  that  of  any  choir — the 
melody  of  the  tender  greeting,  “ I love  you  I ” 

The  testimonies  that  followed  from  those  who 
have  been  redeemed  in  the  Florence  Mission  were 
most  striking  and  impressive  and  touched  all  hearts 
to  tenderness  and  all  eyes  to  tears. 

Mr.  Hagar  said  : ‘‘  For  twenty  years  I had  not 


226 


the;  traffic  in  girts. 


been  in  a church.  I thought  the  churches  had  no 
use  for  me  and  I had  no  use  for  them.  But  Christ 
took  me  out  of  my  sin  and  has  kept  me  for  fourteen 
months,  and  now  I love  the  church  with  all  my 
heart.” 

Mr.  Bishop  said:  “Though  I was  brought  up 
by  Christian  parents,  I wandered  away  through  gam- 
bling and  drunkenness  and  went  into  the  Florence 
Mission  to  break  it  up.  There,  thank  God,  I found 
friends,  real  friends,  who  pointed  me  to  Christ,  who 
took  my  sins  away.  I thank  God  that  he  put  it  into 
the  hearts  of  Brother  Crittenton  and  others  to  found 
that  blessed  Mission.  By-and-b}^  thousands  from 
these  Florence  Crittenton  Missions  will  be  found  in 
Heaven,  and  of  them  it  is  written,  ‘ These  are  they 
that  have  come  up  through  great  tribulations  and 
washed  their  robes  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.’  ” 

Miss  Ida  Brown  said  : “ For  5'ears  I was  a Suuda}"- 
school  teacher,  but  I had  become  a scoffer  and  a skep- 
tic. I had  often  been  invited  to  go  to  Florence  Mis- 
sion, but  I asked  myself  if  I could  go  to  that  Mission, 
a place  for  erring  women  and  fallen  men.  However, 
I went  out  of  curiosity  two  3"ears  ago,  heard  Brother 
Crittenton,  who  pleaded  with  me  to  give  m3’self  to 
God,  and  I am  so  glad  that  I responded.  There  is  a 
mistaken  idea  that  only  fallen  women  are  there  re- 
deemed, for,  dear  brother,  no  matter  how  cultured 
you  may  be,  if  you  are  rejecting  Christ  3’ou  are  a 
fallen  man,  and  need  salvation  as  much  as  an3’  erring 
girl.” 

Another  remarkable  case  was  that  of  Miss  Maude 
Cann,  a most  beautiful  girl,  who  being  endowed  with 
a wondrous  voice  was  preparing  for  the  operatic 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  22^ 

stage.  Out  of  curiosity  she  went  to  one  of  Mr.  Crit- 
tenton’s  meetings  and  gave  her  heart  to  Christ.  She 
consecrated  her  life  to  his  service  and  for  months  was 
the  gifted  chorister  at  Florence  Crittenton  Mission. 
Her  testimonials  always  absorb  attention,  and  her 
voice  may  yet  be  heard  all  over  the  world  as  the  sing- 
ing evangelist. 

Miss  Clara  Brook,  another  bright  and  shining  light 
for  Jesus,  was  converted  during  Mr.  Crittenton’s  minis- 
trations at  the  Sixth  Street  Methodist  church  and  she 
has  been  one  of  the  most  faithful  workers  in  the  Mis- 
sion and  many  souls  have  been  won  to  Christ  through 
her  song,  testimony  and  personal  appeal. 

Brother  Hays  said:  “I  was  brought  up  by  a 
Christian  father  and  mother,  but  twelve  years  ago  I 
got  away  from  Christ,  only  attending  church  once  in 
eight  years.  If  I had  not  been  converted  I would  be 
in  the  worst  haunts  of  infamy  in  Sacramento.” 

W.  R.  Daly,  now  engaged  in  mission  work,  said  : 
” A little  over  a year  ago  I was  getting  over  an  awful 
spree,  having  a good  time  for  the  devil,  but  a ver3^ 
poor  time  for  myself  : but  I was  saved  in  the  Florence 
Crittenton  Mission,  and  have  been  so  wondrously 
happy  ! God  has  helped  me  to  save  several  of  these 
dear  girls  who  have  wandered  far  from  home  and 
God,  but  who  are  to-day  in  their  mothers’  arms  and 
leading  Christian  lives.” 

W.  L.  Tolley  said:  ‘‘It  was  the  happiest  day  of 
my  life,  when,  three  months  ago,  I went  into  the  Flor- 
ence Mission  and  Christ  made  me  a new  man.  It  is 
the  greatest  desire  of  my  life  to  point  others  to  this 
same  loving  Saviour.” 


228 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


Mr.  Murray  said : ‘ ‘ For  years  I led  a life  of  sin, 
gambling  and  drunkenness,  and  one  night  I heard  a 
sister  sing  in  Florence  Mission,  ‘ A-re  you  Listening  to 
the  Saviour’s  Call  ?’  and  I thought,  no,  I was  listen- 
ing to  the  devil’s  call.  But  I did  listen  to  Christ  that 
night,  and  now  the  best  of  my  life  has  been  the  last 
these  months,  when  I have  been  holding  open  air 
meetings  at  Third  and  K streets,  telling  of  Jesus’  love.” 

Many  other  testimonies  were  given  of  Christians 
who  had  found  deeper  consecration  at  the  Florence 
Mission. 

Rev.  Mr.  Reider  made  an  eloquent  appeal  for  sub- 
scriptions. He  said  ; ‘ ‘ Let  every  one  study  the  fig- 
ures of  this  report  of  the  Florence  Mission,  where 
two  hundred  and  fifty  converts  have  been  made  this 
year.  Can  any  church  in  the  city  show  as  good 
a record  ? I thought  we  were  wonderfully  blest  at 
Calvar}^  when  we  received  one  hundred  members  from 
Mr.  B.  Fay  Mills’  meetings.  The  expense  shows 
these  souls  have  cost  about  eight  dollars  apiece. 

Dear  friends,  can  you  find  a better  investment  than 
that  ? How  blessed,  when  the  soul  which  our  money 
has  been  instrumental  in  saving  meets  us  in  heaven 
and  says,  ‘ You  brought  me  here  ! ’ Some  one  asked 
me  to  ask  Brother  Crittenton  to  give  one  hundred 
dollars  to  build  a church,  and  I said  ‘ No,  I want  all 
Brother  Crittenton’ s wealth  to  go  to  these  Florence 
Missions  which  he  is  founding  in  so  man}^  cities.’  ” 

Nearly  one  thousand  dollars  was  quickl}"  subscribed, 
showing  the  great  faith  of  Sacramentans  in  the  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Mission  and  its  work. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


229 


SAN  FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1889,  while  at  Sunol,  Cal., 
for  a vacation,  we  were  led  to  take  up  our  present 
work,  yet  the  way  seemed  closed  on  all  sides.  At 
that  time,  and  for  some  months  afterwards,  we  were 
unable  to  do  any  clerical  work,  having  temporarily 
lost  the  use  of  our  eyes,  and  most  of  our  friends 
thought  that  for  us  to  undertake  the  Rescue  work  in 
such  a condition  as  we  were  then  in,  would  be  little 
less  than  sheer  madness.  Some  friends  to  whom  we 
wrote,  and  others,  with  whom  we  conversed  on  the 
subject  were  very  emphatic  in  their  words  of  disap- 
proval, assigning  as  their  reasons,  that  a Rescue 
Home  had  never  been  successful  in  San  Francisco, 
and  stating  that  it  was  their  belief  that  any  venture 
in  that  direction  meant  defeat.  We  did  at  that  time 
what  we  do  now,  took  all  the  advice  and  suggestions 
offered,  and  then  did  what  we  believed  was  our  duty. 
The  result  has  been  salvation  to  a large  number,  who 
would,  undoubtedly,  have  been  lost.  There  has  been 
much  of  discouragement,  financial  and  otherwise. 
Very  many  times  we  have  been  misunderstood,  our 
motives  have  been  questioned,  and  we  have  been  con- 
demned for  the  close  scrutiny  exercised  toward  every 
applicant,  yet,  we  believe  the  results  justify  the 
course  pursued.  With  the  mistakes  of  the  past  to 
guide  us,  we  hope  to  make  a better  record  in  the 
future. 

Amid  the  gloom  and  clouds  caused  by  so  many  dis- 
couraging replies  to  our  communications,  one  came  to 
us  that  was  as  a ray  of  sunshine,  full  of  brightness  and 


230 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


encouragement,  and  best  of  all  it  contained  a promise 
of  hearty  co-operation  in  the  new  enterprise.  As  we 
take  a retrospective  view  of  the  association  in  all  of 
its  varied  circumstances,  the  facts  compel  us  to  ac- 
knowledge that  the  pledge  so  willingly  given  has 
been  heartily  fulfilled.  The  letter  was  signed, 

“ Your  friend  and  brother, 

E.  A.  Girvin.” 

When  the  writer  first  became  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Girvin,  he  was  trying  to  interest  a number  of  gentle- 
men in  the  “ Home  of  Refuge  ” and  succeeded  in  get- 
ting subscriptions  for  that  institution  that  were  car- 
ried forward  to  the  present  association  and  are  still 
being  paid  each  month.  His  activity  in  this  direc- 
tion has  not  decreased. 

Mr.  Girvin  was  present  at  the  first  meeting,  Jul}”- 
i6,  1889,  at  which  time  the  nucleus  of  the  present 
association  was  formed.  Among  other  questions 
which  came  up  for  consideration  was  the  subject  of 
assuming  the  management  and  debts  of  the  “ Home  of 
Refuge.”  This  Home  had  been  started  in  November, 
1888,  by  the  Rev.  George  Newton  and  others.  In 
January,  1889,  Mr.  Newton  was  called  to  other  fields 
of  labor  and  the  Home  was  left  without  the  care  that 
such  a work  needs,  so  that  we  had  to  face,  at  that 
meeting,  a debt  of  $196,  in  addition  to  the  responsi- 
bilities connected  with  such  an  undertaking.  After 
much  discussion  and  an  earnest  pra}"er,  in  which  we 
severally  consecrated  ourselves  anew  to  God  and  the 
work  of  ‘‘rescuing  the  fallen,”  we  decided  to  assume 
the  debts  and  management  of  the  Home  and  to 
change  the  name  to  ‘‘  Pacific  Rescue  Home.” 


I'l^ORRNCE  CRITTENTON  HOME,  SAN  FRANCISCO,  CARIFORNIA. 


FLrORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  23! 

Mr.  Girvin  was  our  secretary  for  two  and  a half 
years.  In  January,  1892,  he  was  elected  vice-pres- 
ident, both  of  which  positions  he  filled  with  credit  to 
the  association  and  himself.  Lack  of  space  prevents 
our  enlarging  more  fully  on  the  noble  work  Mr.  Girvin 
is  doing  in  this  and  other  charities. 

Nathaniel  R.  Strong  was  present  at  the  before- 
mentioned  meeting,  July  16,  and  gave  us  very  sub- 
stantial financial  aid  in  starting  our  work.  During 
the  first  year  of  our  existence  as  an  association,  we 
were  tided  over  seemingly  insurmountable  obstacles 
through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Strong.  Ill  health  has 
compelled  his  absence  from  the  city  most  of  the  time 
since  our  organization.  From  time  to  time  we  have 
received  reminders  from  our  absent  friend  that  con- 
vince us  that  his  interest  remains  unchanged.  Mr. 
Strong  has  been  the  treasurer  of  the  association  from 
the  beginning.  Unfortunately  we  have  not  been  bur- 
dened with  any  surplus  funds,  as  those  familiar  with 
our  cash  reports  can  understand.  Yet  we  are  living 
in  hopes  of  better  things  farther  on. 

Mr.  Strong  is  a kind  Christian  gentleman,  who 
has  spent  the  best  years  of  his  life  in  business  activi- 
ties. If  we  had  more  men  of  this  stamp  there  would 
be  less  suffering  in  the  world. 

We  now  pass  to  the  remaining  member  of  the  orig- 
inal quartette  that  assembled  at  607  California  street, 
to  organize  the  work,  the  Rev.  John  Hannon,  D.D. 

It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  we  recall  to  mind 
our  association  with  this  brother  in  the  work.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  to  be  identified  with  the  cause,  to  which 


232  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 

he  remained  very  faithful,  until  called  to  new  scenes 
of  activity. 

When  discouragements  arrayed  themselves  against 
us,  as  they  often  do,  he  enabled  us  to  meet  them 
his  words  of  cheer.  Although  actively  engaged  in 
his  pastoral  duties,  we  found  him  ready  to  “lend  a 
hand  ” to  the  fallen. 

He  held  the  position  of  vice-president  during  the 
latter  part  of  his  connection  with  the  association. 

In  the  fall  of  1890,  he  was  sent  to  the  M.  E. 
Church  South,  of  Sau  Jose  ; accordingly  he  deemed 
it  necessary  to  sever  his  connection  wdth  this  work. 
We  scarcely  need  say  that  it  was  with  feelings  of  great 
reluctance  that  the  board  accepted  his  resignation, 
bidding  him  Godspeed  in  his  new  charge. 

After  the  meeting  of  July  16,  Mrs.  Sheriff  was  en- 
gaged as  matron,  in  which  capacity  she  remained  for 
two  years.  At  the  same  time.  Rev.  A.  R.  Sheriff  was 
engaged  as  solicitor  and  continued  with  the  associa- 
tion until  October,  1890,  when  he  severed  his  connec- 
tion with  us  to  engage  in  the  work  of  the  Central 
Gospel  Mission  on  Stevenson  street.  The  following 
July  Mrs.  Sheriff  resigned  her  position  to  engage  in 
the  same  work,  which  they  are  still  carrying  on. 
Mrs.  Sheriff  endeared  herself  to  ver}^  many  of  the  girls 
during  her  administration,  many  of  whom  were  doubt- 
less led  into  Christian  lives  through  her  instrumen- 
tality. 

Being  then  in  a position  to  have  the  work  carried 
on,  we  began  making  a canvass  for  a full  Board  of  Di- 
rectors and  corporate  powers.  In  this  we  were  suc- 
cessful, our  certificate  of  incorporation  being  signed 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  233 

November  30,  1889,  by  the  Secretary  of  State.  The 
Rev.  W.  H.  Scudder,  Rev.  M.  D.  Buck,  Mr.  R.  S. 
Sherman,  Hon.  L,.  R.  Ellert,  George  S.  Montgomery 
and  the  original  four  were,  the  incorporators,  with  Mr. 
Scudder  as  president ; L.  S.  Sherman  as  vice-presi- 
dent ; E.  A,  Girvin,  secretary ; N.  R.  Strong,  treas- 
urer, and  the  writer  as  manager. 

Early  in  1890,  we  were  permitted  to  organize  our 
Board  of  Lady  Managers.  From  that  time  until  the 
present,  they  have  taken  a very  active  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Home.  The  personnel  was  as  follows : 
Mrs.  J.  B.  McGilvray,  president ; Mrs.  Joseph  Mos- 
crop,  vice-president  ; Mrs.  A.  H.  Breckenfeld,  stffcre- 
tary  ; Mrs.  E.  B.  Cooper,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Flanders,  Mrs. 
G.  K.  Frink,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Mitchell,  Mrs.  Carrie  Judd 
Montgomery,  Mrs.  Leo.  Aigeltinger,  Dr.  Lucia  M. 
Lane  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Wood.  To  these  have  been 
added  : Mrs.  C.  H.  Sykes,  Miss  F.  R.  McCulloch, 
Mrs.  H.  C.  Girvin,  Mrs.  F.  J.  Masters,  MissS.  M.  N. 
Cummings,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Grace,  Charlton  Edholm. 

In  March,  1890,  with  the  same  board  of  directors 
and  management,  a Home  was  started  in  Oakland, 
with  Mrs.  S.  C.  Russell  as  matron.  This  Home  had 
been  conducted  by  Mrs.  D.  D.  McWade  (since  de- 
ceased), who  on  the  advice  of  her  physician  relin- 
quished the  work,  and  turned  over  to  our  association 
all  the  furniture  contained  therein,  while  we  assumed 
all  debts.  This  w^ork  was  continued  until  February, 
1891,  when  it  was  united  with  the  San  Francisco 
Home  in  its  present  location. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  commendation  of  Mrs. 
Russell  and  the  executive  ability  she  has  manifested. 


234 


The  traffic  in  girls. 


During  her  administration,  from  July  i6,  1890,  very 
many  motherless  and  homeless  girls  have  not  only 
found  a home  but  a mother’s  love  and  care.  Surely, 
she  will  have  her  reward. 

We  must  now  pass  to  January,  1892,  when  Mr. 
Crittenton  was  made  president.  We  deem  it  entirely 
unnecessary  to  present  a biographical  sketch  of  him 
in  these  pages.  Both  he  and  his  daughter  Addie 
Crittenton  Baldwin  are  life  members.  W’^e  are  very 
thankful  for  the  aid  and  advice  that  has  been  afforded 
our  work  from  his  means  and  experience,  and  believe 
that  the  fact  of  Mr.  Crittenton’ s connection  with  the 
work  assures  a refuge  for  the  erring  in  the  city  of  San 
Francisco  for  all  time,  because  people  who  have  means 
to  devote  to  charitable  objects  will  profit  b}^  the  ex- 
ample so  prominently  before  them,  and  from  their 
abundance  will  contribute  towards  the  support  and 
permanent  buildings. 

Before  passing  to  a brief  sketch  of  the  men  who 
have  composed  our  board,  mention  should  be  made  of 
the  valuable  assistance  rendered  to  our  Home  during 
its  first  struggles  for  existence  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Stetson. 
When  our  former  accommodations  were  too  small, 
Mr.  Stetson  gave  many  hours  of  his  time  to  personal 
solicitations  for  funds  and  material  suflScient  to  enable 
us  to  enlarge  our  borders.  He  also  wrote  us  a letter 
that  continues  to  be  of  value  to  us. 

We  also  remember  at  this  time  the  generous  gift 
(conditional)  of  a building  site  at  Lakeview,  by  Mr. 
Adolph  Sutro.  We  may  not  be  able  to  avail  ourselves 
of  this  liberal  offer,  nevertheless  we  appreciate  the 


FLORENCE)  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


235 


real  interest  manifested  in  our  association  and  its 
objects  by  the  donor. 

We  must  now  pass  to  a brief  mention  of  the  Board 
of  Directors. 

Mr.  George  S.  Montgomery  became  identified  with 
our  association  early  in  its  history  and  became  security 
for  us  when  we  needed  to  go  to  the  bank  for  money  to 
carry  on  our  work.  Both  he  and  his  excellent  wife 
are  in  hearty  sympathy  with  any  effort  that  has  for  its 
object  the  salvation  of  the  lost. 

Mrs.  Carrie  Judd  Montgomery  became  the  second 
life  member  of  our  association.  She  is  constantly 
seeking  new  methods  of  showing  her  real  interest  in 
all  rescue  work,  not  only  in  our  home,  but  with  the 
Salvation  Army  Home  at  Beulah. 

Rev.  M.  D.  Buck  became  identified  with  the 
association  in  October,  1889.  He  has  shown  deep 
and  abiding  interest  in  the  work  and  has  always 
proved  himself  ready  to  serve  where  opportunity 
offered.  During  the  entire  period  of  his  connection 
with  the  Board  of  Directors,  he  was  a member  of  the 
auditing  committee. 

While  our  brother  has  severed  his  official  connec- 
tion with  “the  Home,’’  yet  we  find  him  actively 
engaged  in  the  interests  of  the  same  work  in  his  new 
appointment. 

Mr.  Sherman  became  associated  with  our  work  in 
August,  1889,  and  from  that  time  has  been  very 
earnest  and  helpful  in  the  cause.  We  have  found  him 
always  ready  to  drop  his  own  work  and  attend  to  any 
matters  concerning  “the  Home.’’  During  great 
financial  depression  there  have  been  times  when  the 


236 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


work  must  have  ceased,  had  not  Mr.  Sherman  come 
to  the  rescue.  His  money  has  always  been  very 
freely  given  to  support  the  cause. 

He  was  the  second  president  of  the  Board  and  for 
a period  of  fifteen  months  fulfilled  the  duties  of  that 
ofiice  with  credit.  He  also  has  the  honor  of  being  our 
first  life  member. 

Having  occasion  to  consult  an  oculist,  we  were 
providentially  directed  to  Dr.  Pardee  who  soon  proved 
his  skill  as  a physician  and  showed  his  ready  sympa- 
thy with  the  unfortunate.  Since  our  first  acquaint- 
ance with  him,  he  has  never  failed  in  word  or  deed  to 
do  all  that  lay  in  his  power  for  the  good  of  the  Rescue 
work. 

When  the  cau.se  was  first  presented  to  him,  he 
became  a willing  subscriber  and  promised  his  profes- 
sional services  free  of  charge  to  all  members  of  the 
Home  needing  such  attention,  which  promise  he  has 
repeatedly,  patiently  and  successfully  fulfilled.  We 
have  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  ability  and  feel  that 
when  our  girls  are  under  his  care  they  are  in  good 
hands. 

Dr.  Pardee  spends  much  of  his  time  relieving  the 
sufferings  of  those  from  whom  he  receives  no  compen- 
sation save  the  esteem  and  gratitude  of  his  patients. 

In  1890  he  became  a member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  but  during  the  past  }^ear  and  since  his 
election  as  mayor  of  Oakland  he  has  been  prevented, 
by  professional  duties  and  sickness,  from  taking  an 
active  part  in  the  work. 

Joseph  Moscrop  joined  our  ranks  in  1891,  since 
which  time  he  has  continued  in  active  servuce.  At 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  237 

the  beginning  of  1892  he  was  elected  Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Directors.  He  is  a frequent  visitor  of  the 
Home,  where  he  is  always  welcome.  Brother  Moscrop 
has  done  efficient  work  for  us  in  holding  services  at 
the  Home  on  Sabbath  afternoons,  and  has  always 
been  ready  to  lend  a hand  when  requested. 

It  gives  us  great  pleasure  when  we  reniember  the 
noble  work  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Scudder,  who  was  the 
first  president  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  Although 
having  a large  field  of  work  in  Plymouth  Congrega- 
tional Church,  he  found  time  and  energy  enough  to 
prove  very  helpful  to  the  cause  so  near  our  hearts. 
After  a year  and  a half  of  faithful  service  he  ac- 
cepted a charge  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

As  is  often  the  case,  those  who  already  have  their 
hands  full  of  work  meet  demands  for  still  greater 
outlays  of  time  and  strength.  So  it  was  with  Mr.  L. 
R.  Kllert.  He  is  too  well  known  to  the  public 
of  San  Francisco  to  need  an  introduction  here ; but 
we  are  glad  to  say  that  for  a period  of  one  year 
he  was  identified  with  this  cause  and  served  faith- 
fully where  opportunity  offered.  He  took  a very  act- 
ive interest  in  all  the  proceedings  of  the  Board  until 
January,  1891,  when  the  press  of  public  affairs  com- 
pelled him  to  withdraw  from  the  association.  We 
felt  very  sorry  to  part  with  him,  yet  we  saw  that  his 
duties  as  supervisor  and  his  increasing  cares  were 
sufficient  to  occupy  all  of  his  time.  We  feel  assured 
that  he  will  be  as  efficient  in  the  office  of  mayor  of 
San  Francisco  as  he  has  been  in  other  positions. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  the  Rev.  M.  D.  Buck, 
Mr.  A.  G.  Smiley  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  In 


238 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


times  of  perplexity  as  to  the  proper  course  in  anj’'  spe- 
cial case,  we  have  always  found  in  Mr.  Smiley  a careful 
adviser,  hence,  we  feel  assured  that  we  have  gained 
a valuable  acquisition  to  our  Board  of  Directors. 

To  Sisters  Wiltermood  and  Newell,  we  feel  deepl}^ 
grateful  for  their  untiring  efforts  for  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  our  girls,  making  Thursday  night  of  each 
week  a season  to  be  looked  forward  to  on  account  of 
the  many  blessings  received  through  their  teaching. 

THE  WORK  AND  ITS  RESULTS. 

We  are  enabled  to  present  a verj^  satisfactory' 
showing.  We  appreciate  and  freely  acknowledge 
that  the  strongest  factors  in  these  results  are  and  have 
been  our  Board  of  Physicians,  who  have  not  only 
been  faithful  in  their  attendance  at  the  Home,  but 
have  been  ready  at  all  times  to  advance  the  work 
wherever  opportunity  offered. 

Dr.  Samuel  G.  Boyd  and  Dr.  Lucia  M.  Lane  have 
been  connected  with  the  work  from  its  infancy.  They 
were  followed  by  Dr.  Park,  Dr.  Smiley,  Dr.  W.  D. 
Clark.  Consultant,  Dr.  Beverly  McMonagle,  Cali- 
fornia, Woman’s  Hospital. 

While  we  have  been  writing  this  history  and  giv- 
ing credit  where  it  was  due,  we  have  not  lost  sight  of 
the  fact  that  every  step  of  our  w'ay  we  have  been  de- 
pendent on  an  all-wise  Counselor  and  Friend,  without 
whose  aid  and  benediction  w'e  should  have  accom- 
plished nothing.  So  we  are  constrained  in  closing 
this  report  to  invoke  the  same  divine  aid  and  blessing 
for  the  future  years  that  has  manifestly  been  wnth  us 
during  the  past. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


239 


THE  WORK  OF  THREE  YEARS  IN  SAN  FRANCISCO  HOME. 
Whole  number  admitted,  190  ; accounted  for  as  follows  : 


Debtor. 

Number  known  to  have  gone  wrong 24 

“ lost  track  of 13 

“ dead 5 


42 

47 
53 

23 

3 
126 

Number  remaining  in  the  Home 22 


190 

The  ages  of  girls  were  as  follows  : 


6 ...  . 

14 

28  ...  . 

18 

18  ...  . 

14  “ 

15 

29  ...  . 

18 

19 

26  ...  . 

15  “ 

16 

22  ...  . 

19“ 

20 

32  ...  . 

16  “ 

17 

15  • • • • 

25 

14 over  25 

J.  W.  Ellsworth,  Manager. 

January,  i8gj. 


LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA. 

Board  of  Directors  : — Rev.  P.  F.  Bresee,  D.  D., 
president ; Rev.  T.  P.  Ferguson,  vice-president ; Mr. 
John  Dowe,  secretary  ; Rev.  J.  M.  Hervey,  treasurer  ; 
Mr.  Chas.  N.  Crittenton,  Major  George  A.  Hilton, 
Mr.  C.  A.  Jeffers,  Rev.  J.  W.  Ellsworth.  Mr.  D.  M. 
McDonald,  attorney;  Mr.  A.  M.  Armour,  manager; 
Mrs.  Mary  Hilbisch,  matron. 

Fife  Members : — Rev.  W.  C.  Stevens,  Mrs.  Eouise 
E.  Stevens,  Mr.  Chas.  N.  Crittenton. 


Credit. 

Number  at  service,  doing  well 

“ returned  to  parents,  doing  well 

“ married,  doing  well 

“ in  active  Christian  work  . . . 


240 


THE  TRAEEIC  IN  GIRLS. 


A brief  history  of  the  FLORENCE  HOME,  LOS 
ANGELES. 

Among  the  many  Christian  and  benevolent  enter- 
prises in  our  fair  city,  the  Florence  Home  certainly 
deserves  a place,  and  although  it  was  opened  only  a 
few  months  ago,  some  tired  feet  have  already  found 
this  quiet  refuge,  and  the  good  matron,  with  a gra- 
cious measure  of  encouragement  and  success,  has  en- 
deavored to  lead  them  into  the  way  of  peace.  For 
some  time  previous  to  the  opening  of  the  Home  this 
house  had  been  consecrated  to  the  Lord  and  the  for- 
mer owners  were  just  waiting  to  know  in  what  way 
He  had  planned  to  use  it.  The  da5"s  went  by,  but 
still  they  wisely  waited,  for  you  know  God  will  surely 
tell  you  if  you  tarry,  and  the  answer  and  guidance 
came  at  last  somewhat  in  this  waj’- : On  the  Fourth  of 
last  July,  the  Los  Angeles  Mission  were  holding  their 
annual  grove  meeting,  and  the  blessing  of  the  Lord 
was  on  the  people.  Bro.  Ellsworth  of  San  Francisco, 
a dear  personal  friend  of  the  leaders  of  the  Mission, 
was  present,  enjoying  the  feast  with  us,  and  Bro. 
Ferguson  called  upon  him  to  give  some  account  of 
the  rescue  work,  his  work,  in  that  big,  beautiful, 
wicked  city.  Very  touchingly  he  told  us  about  sins 
and  sorrows,  wants  and  woes,  as  they  had  come  under 
his  own  observation.  It  was  sweet  to  hear  how  dear, 
lost  girls  had  been  rescued  from  vice  and  frequently 
converted  to  God  through  the  efforts  of  loving  hearts 
and  helping  hands.  At  the  close  of  his  recital  he  of- 
fered to  rent  a house  in  Los  Angeles  and  furnish  it  if 
the  people  here  would  sustain  the  work.  Very  still 


FIvORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSION,  EOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  241 

and  clear  came  the  voice  of  the  L,ord  to  one  man  in 
that  audience,  ‘ ‘ this  is  what  I want  with  the  house 
you  gave  to  me.  I need  it  for  lost,  broken-hearted, 
betrayed,  forsaken,  fallen  womanhood.”  So  when  the 
meeting  was  over  Bro.  Stevens  told  Bro.  Ellsworth  he 
would  give  over  his  home  to  Mr.  Charles  N.  Critten- 
ton  and  himself  for  this  purpose,  and  in  a few  weeks 
the  whole  thing  was  arranged.  Five  additional  trus- 
tees were  chosen,  and  a Board  of  Directors  of  seven 
hold  the  Home  in  trust  for  God  and  for  this  most 
needy  class  of  his  banished  ones.  On  Aug.  25  it  was 
formally  dedicated  to  God.  Dr.  Bresee,  pastor  Simp- 
son M.  E.  church  and  president  of  the  Board  of  Di- 
rectors, also  presiding  at  the  dedication  services. 
And  now  the  little  bark  is  fairly  launched  and  sailing 
heavenward,  and  we  want  you,  Christian  reader,  to 
ask  the  Ford  that  a large  and  precious  living  freight 
may  ‘‘get  on  board.”  Sad  tales  of  weakness,  wrongs 
and  sufferings  come  to  the  ears  of  manager,  matron 
and  friends,  and  thank  God,  a few  have  been  blest 
and  benefited,  and  we  trust  there  is  much  more  to 
follow.  In  a sense,  everything  is  new.  The  work 
needs  great  wisdom  ; the  field  is  almost  untried,  and 
inexperienced  workers  have  to  lean  all  the  harder  on 
their  helper,  God.  But  they  are  leaning  2,x\^lear7ii7ig. 

I suppose  nobody  can  appreciate  the  need  of  homes 
of  this  kind,  unless  they  are  actually  engaged  in 
rescue  work  or  in  Mission  work,  which  is  on  some- 
what similar  lines.  There  is  a great  variety  of  need 
in  Christian  work  becau.se  there  is  a great  variety  of 
si7i  and  sufferhig,  and  this  is  a crying  need,  whose 
voice  is  oft  unheard  and  oft  unheeded,  and  yet  that 


242 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


anguish  tone  has  the  wail  of  mother,  wife  and  child  in 
it,  if  we  had  but  ears  to  hear.  No  open  door,  no  means, 
no  work,  no  friend,  no  home,  drives  many  a girl,  who 
has  made  one  sad  mistake  and  become  the  victim 
of  some  trusted  villain’s  base  deception,  into  a life  of 
shame  and  sin.  Dear  sorrowful  one,  if  your  eyes  fall 
upon  this  page,  let  me  tell  you  there  is  a corner  for 
you  in  Los  Angeles.  Desolate  or  desperate,  do  not 
despair,  but  call  at  the  office  of  the  Florence  Home, 
Room  13,  215  New  High  street,  and  the  manager,  Mr. 
Armour,  will  receive  you  kindl}^  and  direct  you  to  the 
Home.  The  Lord  multipl}^  such  rescues  and  refuges. 

Manie  Payne  Ferguson. 

PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANIA. 

This  Mission  was  originally  started  Februar}’  17, 
1893.  Bro.  Chas.  N.  Crittenton  who  was  at  California 
about  this  time  had  written  to  me  time  and  again  of 
the  importance  of  founding  a Florence  Crittenton  Mis- 
sion in  our  city,  and  after  pra5"er  and  deep  meditation 
on  the  subject,  I felt  led  to  do  so.  I was  then  superin- 
tendent of  the  Mother  Mission  at  New  York.  Tues- 
day, Feb.  1 6th,  1893,  the  tweiit}'-seventh  anniversarj^ 
of  my  conversion,  at  the  Florence  IMission,  New  York, 
Mrs.  Jas.  R.  Johnston,  Mrs.  Anna  Abel,  Mrs.  Harriet 
Knouse,  Miss  Emma  C.  Abel,  Miss  Livinia  Abel,  Mrs. 
Applegate  and  Mrs.  Tell  came  from  Philadelphia  to 
attend  the  anniversar}^  and  in  the  front  room,  known 
as  Mr.  Crittenton’s  room,  we  talked  over  the  starting  a 
Florence  Mission  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  I gave  m3’ 
wordl  would.  On  Weduesda}’,  Februar}'  17,  while 
attending  an  all-day  meeting  at  Plainfield,  N.  J., 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


243 


we  were  invited  to  take  a ride  in  a large  coach  which 
had  been  sent  to  take  us  around  the  city.  We,  in  this 
coach  about  five  p.  M.,  were  singing  ; the  Spirit  of  God 
came  upon  us  in  power,  and  under  the  influence  Bro. 
James  R.  Johnston  made  this  explanation,  and  made 
this  motion  : “I  move  that  we  form  ourselves  into 
a Florence  Crittenton  Rescue  Band  of  Philadelphia,” 
which  was  carried  with  a shout  for  God  and  the  work. 
In  June,  1893,  we  met  together  on  Sunday  morning  at 
Sixth  and  St.  Mary  streets,  Philadelphia,  and  went  to 
Hurst  street  and  Gillises’  alley  and  held  our  first  open 
air  meeting,  which  was  attended  with  mighty  power, 
many  holding  up  their  hands  for  prayer  ; then  to  Mid- 
dle alley  where  the  same  result  came,  and  from  this 
time  on  God  gave  us  wonderful  results.  Men  and 
women  of  every  grade  were  brought  to  Jesus  and 
knowledge  of  his  saving  grace.  We  could  relate 
many  instances  of  God’s  power  to  save.  On  Sunday 
morning  a very  large  audience  was  gathered,  and  two 
of  our  sisters  of  the  Rescue  Band  went  back  in  the 
alley  among  the  dens  of  vice,  and  there  found  a girl 
under  the  influence  of  drink  quarreling  with  the  man, 
whose  slave  she  was  and  she  was  in  a wild  rage.  She 
drew  a knife  and  was  about  to  plunge  it  into  his 
heart  when  one  of  the  women  jumped  in  between 
them  and  saved  a life,  perhaps  two.  They  brought 
her  around  to  the  meeting  on  the  street,  where  she 
gave  up  her  dagger  to  Mr,  Johnston,  which  he  has 

until  this  day.  Katie  H (her  name)  was  looked 

after  and  we  prayed  with  her  and  got  her  to  think  of 
her  soul,  but  she  would  not  yield.  She  had  been  in 
the  night  Missions,  in  the  house  of  correction  sixteen 


244  'The  traffic  in  gires. 

times,  and  with  all  this  was  arrested,  sent  up  for  the 
seventeenth,  and  was  finally  released  through  the 
efforts  of  the  Rescue  workers ; got  a situation  with 
one  of  our  friends,  and  was  converted  through  the 
singing  of  a hymn  of  a child  in  the  famil}^  where  she 
now  lives  and  is  doing  well.  Another  is  the  case  of  a 
girl  who  was  of  a very  fine  Christian  family,  whose 
mother  died  leaving  these  words  to  her  daughter, 

‘ ‘ Meet  me  in  Heaven.  ’ ’ Through  liquor  the  daughter 
drifted  down  into  the  slums  and  was  a slave  to  drink 
and  shame,  and  had  become  a prisoner  in  a dive  in 
Middle  alley,  and  was  not  allowed  to  go  out,  but  was 
kept  there  for  an  evil  purpose,  and  was  well-known 

as  Jack  the  Ripper,  but  her  name  was  Hattie  N- . 

Through  the  singing  of  our  band,  God  through  his 
Spirit  brought  conviction,  and  she  began  to  pray  in 
her  den  of  sin  and  was  converted.  Listen  to  her 
testimony  on  the  street,  “Oh  how  wicked  I was,  and 
I had  got  so  far  down  in  sin  I never  thought  God 
would  save  me.  I know  you  all  know  me.  That 
police  officer  over  there  knows  me  well,  and  I was  so 
wicked  the  police  would  arrest  girls  who  were  even 
seen  with  me.  You,  my  friends,  who  are  standing  in 
the  crowd,  know  me  and  have  sinned  with  me,  and 
let  me  say  this,  if  God  will  save  one  like  me  he  will 
save  you.”  Then  she  sang,  and  great  was  the  result. 
In  this  street  houses  of  shame  were  turned  into 
houses  of  prayer,  and  while  the  meetings  were  going 
on  in  the  streets  a number  of  meetings  were  going  on 
at  the  same  time  in  the  houses  ; many  souls  were 
brought  to  Jesus. 


Florence:  crittenton  missions. 


245 


AN  INCIDENT,  A FACT. 

Another  case  of  a young  girl,  Jennie  F. who 

left  her  mother  in  London,  arrived  in  New  York,  found 
her  way  to  Philadelphia,  was  wrecked  with  sin  and 
shame  which  brought  on  a lingering  disease.  God 
for  Jesus’  sake  converted  her,  and  although  dying 
she  would  give  her  testimony  of  the  power  of  Jesus 
to  save,  and  would  often  bring  tears  of  rejoicing  to 
our  eyes  when  our  band  of  workers  would  visit  her, 
and  not  long  after  mother’s  daughter  in  a far-off  city 
was  relieved  of  her  suffering.  She  bade  all  good-by 
asking  all  to  meet  her  in  the  city  of  our  God,  Jennie 
was  buried  from  the  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  No. 
7,  Philadelphia ; Brother  Johnston  preached  the 
sermon  from  the  text,  “ Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die 
in  the  Lord”;  many  were  convicted,  and  she  was  then 
carried  to  the  cemetery  to  be  buried  in  the  lot  which 
was  presented  to  the  Mission  by  the  brotherhood  of 
the  Bethany  Church,  with  which  Mr.  John  Wana- 
maker,  the  noble  Christian  man,  is  so  prominently 
identified. 

The  open  air  meetings  on  Hurst  street  and  Middle 
alley  became  perfect  revivals  and  many  would  fall  on 
their  knees  on  the  pavements  and  became  converted, 
and  many  wonderful  conversions  occured  on  the 
streets  and  in  the  houses  of  ill-fame.  This  work  con- 
tinued in  the  open  air  until  the  weather  became  too 
cold  and  damp  to  continue  them,  at  which  time 
Brother  Johnston  called  a meeting  at  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Anna  Abel,  946  Lawrence  street,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  on  Monday  evening,  September  26th,  1892,  for 


246 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


the  purpose  of  organizing  a Mission  ; at  this  time 
Brother  Johnson  told  them  of  a paper  which  he  had 
received  from  Bro.  Chas.  N.  Crittenton  which  read 
thus  : 

To  All  Whom  It  May  Concern  ; — This  is  to  cer- 
tify that  James  R.  Johnston,  late  superintendent  of 
the  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  of  New  York  City, 
has  been  and  is  hereby  authorized,  by  Chas.  N.  Crit- 
tenton, the  founder  and  organizer  of  all  the  Florence 
Crittenton  Mission  work  of  the  United  States,  to  or- 
ganize, open  and  superintend  a Florence  Crittenton 
Mission  and  Home  in  Philadelphia,  and  to  solicit  and 
receive  subscriptions  for  said  mission  work.  Dated  at 
San  Francisco,  Cal.,  this  Sixteenth  day  of  July,  1892. 

Chas.  N.  Crittenton. 

After  the  meeting  was  called  the  purpose  was 
stated  and  after  prayer  the  following  persons  were 
elected  to  office. 

Official  Board  : James  R.  Johnston,  President  and 
Superintendent ; Mrs.  Anna  Abel,  Vice-President 
and  Matron  ; Mrs.  Harriet  Knouse,  Asst.  Superinten- 
dent and  Treasurer  ; Miss  Kmma  Abel,  Supt.  of  Sun- 
day School  and  Secretary  of  Mission  ; Mrs.  Helena 
Applegate,  in  charge  of  Rescue  and  MissionaiA'  Band  ; 
William  D.  Pierce,  William  A.  Richard,  Executive 
Officers  and  Missionaries  ; Miss  Livinia  Abel,  Asst. 
Superintendent  of  Sabbath  School  ; Mrs.  James  R. 
Johnston,  Organist. 

Advisory  Board : Chas.  N.  Crittenton  ; Geo.  D. 
McCreary,  City  Treasurer  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  A. 
W.  Dennett,  F.  C.  Harder,  Wm.  H.  Hoopel. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  247 

Mr.  James  R.  Johnston,  Superintendent  of  the 
Florence  Mission,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  and  was 
converted  at  a Methodist  revival,  at  Rising  Sun,  Phil- 
adelphia, under  the  preaching  of  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Welsch,  on  the  i6th  of  February,  1865.  He  has 
often  said  that  he  was  made  free  just  before  he  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  which  was  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  the  same  month. 

He  then  became  a Sanday-school  teacher,  and 
was  soon  after  appointed  a class  leader  and  Sunday- 
school  superintendent,  and  had  great  success  in  all 
these  positions.  He  then  felt  moved  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  enter  mission  work,  and  started  the  Mackey 
Mission  in  Philadelphia. 

After  this  he  received  a call  to  the  position  of 
Superintendent  of  the  Avenue  A Mission,  under  the 
care  of  St.  George’s  Episcopal  Church  of  New  York 
City.  He  labored  here  for  some  time,  and  when  the 
Mission  became  established  returned  to  Philadelphia, 
and  entered  into  the  work  at  his  first  Mission  until 
August  1889,  at  which  time  he  went  to  Vine  Street, 
above  Eighth,  which  is  considered  one  of  the  worst 
communities  of  Philadelphia,  and  stood  on  the  curb- 
stone and  uttered  this  prayer  : “ O,  Lord,  I ask  thee 
to  help  me  to  open  a Mission  at  Eighth  and  Vine.” 
This  prayer  was  answered  in  the  month  of  November, 
when  a brother,  Jas.  P.  Hall,  said  he  had  got  the  use 
of  an  old  saloon  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Eighth 
and  Vine,  and  asked  Mr.  Johnston  to  open  a Mission, 
which  he  did  on  the  night  of  Thanksgiving,  1889, 
and  in  a short  time  it  became  a power,  he  acting  as 
its  superintendent  until  February,  1891. 


248 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Kv,  tberi  prayed  that  God  would  move  a man  of 
business  on  North  Front  street,  by  the  name  of  John 
Habacher,  to  help  him  to  open  another  Mission,  and 
in  a fev/  weeks  after  this  prayer  Mr.  Habacker  came 
to  ask  him  to  assist  in  opening  a Mission.  Mr.  John- 
ston joined  him,  wdth  other  brethren,  and  on  Easter 
Sunday,  1891,  opened  the  Harvesters’  Mission,  of 
which  he  took  charge,  and  carried  on  a grand  work 
up  to  October  19,  1891,  when  he  was  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  Florence  Crittenton  Mission,  New 
York,  by  Mr.  C.  N.  Crittenton. 

Brother  Johnston  received  considerable  training 
under  Mr.  Crittenton,  previous  to  the  latter’s  journe}’ 
around  the  w’orld  for  his  health,  which  had  become 
impaired  by  his  constant  labors. 

Organized  as  the  Florence  Crittenton  Mission  No. 
7,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  we  then  rented  a store-room 
which  was  used  as  a notorious  place  of  vice,  a pool 
room  w'here  gambling  had  been  carried  on  ; we  took 
possession  on  Sunday,  November  6th,  1893.  It  was 
opened  by  Hon.  Geo.  D.  McCrear}*,  Cit}^  Treasurer  of 
Philadelphia.  The  first  person  converted  was  Charley 

R who  had  been  a gambler  and  a very  wicked  man, 

and  who  had  lost  $28  in  the  very  pool  room  where  he 
now.  w'orships  God  and  w'as  converted  the  first  night 
we  opened.  The  Mission  has  been  crowded  and 
packed  and  many  turned  awa}',  and  man}'  remarkable 
conversions.  Men  who  have  come  into  the  meetings 
drunk  have  been  converted  and  to-day  are  workers  in 
the  Missions  and  belong  to  some  of  our  most  promi- 
nent churches.  Over  19,960  persons  have  attended  our 
meetings  and  1,440  testimonies;  375  confessed  conver- 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  249 

sion  ; 1,285  up  hands  for  prayer.  We  have  col- 
lected over  $800  and  paid  all  our  bills  and  have  a few 
dollars  in  treasury.  All  this  in  five  months,  and  the 
half  has  never  been  told. 

ATLANTA,  GEORGIA. 

One  of  the  most  curious  little  chapters  in  the  his- 
tory of  Atlanta  is  that  recording  the  efforts  of  Mrs. 
M.  M.  Wolfe  and  other  charitable  ladies  to  establish 
a Home  here  for  unfortunate  young  women. 

Now  that  the  effort  has  reached  success  in  the 
completion  of  the  beautiful  building  to  be  known  as 
the  Florence  Crittenton  Home,  and  the  object  of  the 
work  is  generally  understood  and  approved,  it  is  hard 
to  understand  the  panicky  prudishness  and  prescript- 
i^;e  propriety  that  antagonized  it  so  bitterly  at  ihe 
outset,  and  so  blindly  and  persistently — so  malig- 
nantly, it  would  seem — until  Christianity  silenced  the 
churches,  and  the  people  taught  the  preachers  moder- 
ation. 

The  good  women  in  charge  of  the  work,  as  well 
as  the  unfortunate  charges  in  their  care,  were  treated 
as  public  enemies.  They  were  denounced  and  spied 
upon  as  though  they  were  criminals.  Their  property 
was  threatened  with  destruction  by  mob  violence. 
They  were  hunted  from  pillar  to  post. 

This  humble  charity  was  opposed  in  the  name  of 
charity  by  other  charitable  interests. 

The  good  women  persevered.. 

Finally  at  a meeting  of  preachers,  their  object  was 
indorsed  by  a unanimous  vote,  the  preachers  standing 
up  to  pledge  their  sympathy  and  co-operation. 


250 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


A few  days  later  Mrs.  Wolfe  found  a site  suitable 
for  the  Home.  It  happened  to  be  near  the  church  of 
one  of  the  pastors  who  had  stood  up  to  promise  his 
prayers  and  support. 

“ I ’m  so  glad  to  see  you,”  said  Mrs.  Wolfe,  meet- 
ing this  minister  ; ” there  may  be  some  opposition  to 
our  locating  here,  as  there  has  been  ever3’where  else, 
but  you  can  help  us.  You  know — ” 

‘ ‘‘Right  in  front  of  my  church  ! ” exclaimed  the 
preacher.  ‘‘So  far  from  helping  you,  madam,  I shall 
do  all  I can  to  prevent  your  staying  there  ! ” 

‘‘But  you  promised — ” 

‘‘  I didn’t  think  it  was  going  to  be  right  opposite 
my  church.  You  can’t  stay  there.  If  Mrs.  Barrett 
is  so  unselfish  about  it,  why  can’t  you  locate  right 
opposite  St.  Luke’s  ?” 

Mrs.  Barrett  had  in  fact,  tried  hard  to  have  the 
Home  located  just  opposite  St.  Luke’s,  in  order  that 
she  might  devote  more  of  her  time  and  personal  at- 
tention to  it. 

This  incident  is  one  of  man}’ — very  man}’  ! — serv- 
ing to  illustrate  the  spirit  of  those  times.  The  new 
Home  is  completed  now. 

The  story  of  the  Home,  as  it  will  appear  in  the 
history  of  the  city,  is  given  below  in  Mrs.  Wolfe’s 
own  words.  It  was  written  at  the  request  of  the 
Herald  : 

‘‘  During  the  summer  of  1892,  while  taking  a trip 
through  the  South  in  the  interest  of  the  Home  in 
New  Orleans,  of  which  I was  then  superintendent, 
I called  on  the  Rev.  Robert  S.  Barrett,  of  St.  Luke’s 
Cathedral  in  this  city,  to  interest  him  if  possible  in 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  HOME,  ATLANTA,  GA. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


251 


the  work  of  rescuing  young  and  friendless  girls.  I 
there  met  for  the  first  time  Mrs.  Barrett,  who  from 
then  until  now  has  been  a most  enthusiastic  and 
faithful  worker  in  the  cause. 

From  that  conversation  originated  my  call  to 
come  to  this  city  and  endeavor  to  establish  a work 
here.  So  confident  were  we  that  we  should  meet 
with  sympathy  and  help  that  before  leaving  the  city 
I rented  a small  house  on  Formwalt  street,  leaving 
the  keys  with  Mrs.  Barrett,  that  the  house  might  be 
furnished  and  prepared  for  occupancy,  while  I re- 
turned to  New  Orleans  to  settle  matters  there  and 
to  prepare  to  move. 

Before  returning  I received  letters  from  Mrs.  Bar- 
rett stating  that  objections  had  been  made,  to  our 
establishing  a Home  by  residents  in  the  locality,  but 
that  she  thought  if  I could  come  on  we  could  find 
some  suitable  building  a little  out  of  the  city,  and  in 
a month  or  two  would  succeed  in  locating  our  Home. 

Agreeably  to  this  proposition  I came  on  to  At- 
lanta, and  we  found  and  leased  for  one  year  a pretty 
suitable  house  on  the  Marietta  road.  Feeling  confi- 
dent of  success,  I returned  to  New  Orleans,  packed 
the  furniture  and  left  it  with  my  assistants  and  some 
young  children  who  were  in  my  care,  to  follow  when 
I should  send  for  them. 

On  arriving  in  Atlanta  I was  met  by  Mrs.  Barrett 
with  the  information  that  she  feared  opposition,  as 
some  of  the  residents  objected  to  the  Home  being  es- 
tablished in  the  locality  where  were  there  own  priv- 
ate residences.  We  were  asked  to  meet  Mr.  Powers, 
the  owner  of  the  house  we  had  leased,  with  a com- 


252 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


mittee  of  five  gentlemen,  property  owners,  to  see  if 
W'e  could  not  remove  their  objections.  Before  this 
committee  Mrs.  Barrett  spoke  eloquently  for  two 
hours,  but  to  no  effect.  They  knew  nothing  espe- 
cially against  the  work,  but  thought  if  the  city,  where 
there  were  so  many  vacant  houses,  objected  to  our 
living  in  their  midsts,  they  surely  could  not  afford  to 
consent  to  anything  which  might  prove  detrimental 
to  their  interests  as  property  owners. 

Mr.  Powers  joined  Mrs.  Barrett,  representing  to 
them  that  if  he,  as  the  largest  property  owner  in  the 
vicinity,  was  willing  to  take  any  risk  there  might  be, 
they  surely  ought  to  be  walling  to  trust  him  in  the 
matter.  It  was,  however,  all  to  no  purpose.  And 
now  commenced  a never-to-be-forgotten  house  hunt- 
ing. Every  agent  in  Atlanta  came  to  know  me  well, 
and  while  there  were  numerous  suitable  houses  on 
their  lists,  and  the  money  w^as  readj'  to  pay  for  leas- 
ing them,  it  was  impossible  to  get  them  to  rent  me  a 
Home. 

At  last,  despairing  of  securing  a house  in  or  near 
the  city,  I took  the  dummy  line  and  went  to  Decatur. 
There  I found  a house,  neat,  commodious  and  in 
everj^  way  suitable  for  mj^  purposes,  and  agreed  to 
rent  it.  I was  to  meet  the  owner  and  close  the  bar- 
gain early  the  next  morning.  You  may  be  sure  I 
was  on  time,  but  was  met  very  politeh'  b}"  the  gentle- 
man, who  informed  me  that  his  agent  had  given  the 
refusal  of  the  house  to  another  part}',  and  I w’ould 
have  to  give  it  up.  He  w'as  very  sorry,  etc.,  and  I 
was  again  left  houseless. 

Almost  desperate,  I determined  to  go  out  to  Bol- 


FI^ORBNC:^  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  253 

ton,  and  after  having  a most  unfortunate  trip,  the 
car  breaking  down  two  or  three  times,  I was  much 
surprised  on  at  last  arriving  at  the  terminus,  on  being 
told  that  that  was  the  last  trip  for  the  day.  It  was 
growing  late  and  I must  needs  return,  without  even 
looking  for  a house.  What  then  seemed  to  me  a 
great  misfortune  has  since  proved  entirely  provi- 
dential. 

I had  before  this  been  trying  to  get  a house  on 
the  corner  of  Mitchell  and  Thompson  streets,  but 
was  refused  the  rental  of  it.  Now  in  my  desperation 
I resolved  to  resort  to  strategy.  My  husband  was 
not  known  as  I was  to  the  real  estate  agents,  and  I 
sent  him  with  money  and  instructions  to  pay  the  rent 
for  one  month.  This,  I thought,  would  give  me  a 
little  time,  and  would  enable  me  to  store  my  furniture, 
which  all  this  time  had  been  side-tracked,  and  sent  to 
New  Orleans  for  my  family,  waiting  in  great  discom- 
fort, expecting  every  hour  a summons  to  come  to  me. 

You  may  imagine  my  delight  when  he  returned 
bringing  the  receipt  and  keys  to  the  house. 

Some  four  or  five  days  after  moving  into  the  house 
on  Mitchell  street,  I w'as  called  on  by  the  chief  of 
police,  who  conducted  me  to  the  office  of  Mr.  English, 
who  informed  me  that  a complaint  had  been  made  by 
a widow  lady  owning  property  in  the  neighborhood, 
aud  that  I could  not  be  allowed  to  remain.  He  said 
he  could  not,  himself,  understand  the  necessity  of  such 
a work.  Then  I explained  to  him  the  nature  of  my 
work,  stating,  among  others,  the  fact,  that  the  year 
before,  thirty-six  young  girls  had  been  sent  from 
Atlanta  to  other  cities,  some  of  whom  I had  received 


254 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


into  my  house  in  New  Orleans.  Still  the  opposition 
remained,  but  I told  Mr.  English  I only  wished  to 
remain  on  Mitchell  street  one  month,  as  I had  already 
rented  a house  on  Peters  street,  and  expected  to  move 
there.  I asked  him  if  it  would  be  necessary  to  apply 
to  the  council  for  permission,  but  he  said  ‘ No,  not 
until  there  was  some  objection  raised.’ 

The  objection  came  soon  enough.  It  got  noised 
about  in  some  way  that  we  intended  moving  into  the 
house  on  Peters  street,  and  the  agent  came  to  me  again 
and  again,  begging  me  to  give  it  up,  that  he  would 
refund  the  money  if  I would  only  give  up  the  house. 
This  I refused  to  do,  though  he  visited  me  day  after 
day,  declaring  that  the  feeling  was  so  great  he  feared 
if  we  attempted  to  move  in  we  would  be  mobbed. 

During  our  stay  on  Mitchell  steeet  we  had  received 
several  inmates,  and  a child  was  born,  so  that  we  had 
quite  a little  family. 

The  lady  managers  having  charge  of  the  Peters 
street  house  were  very  kind,  allowing  us  to  move  in 
and  use  two  or  three  of  the  rooms  before  they  -were 
ready  to  vacate  entirely.  The  feeling  ran  so  high 
that  there  was  quite  a crowd  on  the  corner  watching 
us  as  we  moved  our  furniture  and  carried  in  our 
little  ones  in  the  greatest  haste.  Just  about  this  time 
there  was  one  ray  of  light.  I had  written  to  Mr. 
Charles  N.  Crittenten,  of  New  York,  to  see  if  he 
would  help  us,  and  had  received  his  answer  that  he 
would  give  us  a donation.  This  was  a great  encour- 
agement. Still  persecutions  came  from  ever}’  side. 
Unknown  to  us  a policeman  was  detailed,  who  for 
two  weeks  walked  up  and  down  before  our  house  to 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  255 

see  if  he  could  perceive  any  signs  whatever  of  our  hav- 
ing inmates  in  a Home. 

We  had  met  some  little  time  before  with  the  Min- 
isters’ Association,  and  Mrs.  Barrett,  by  her  sweet 
and  womanly  address  in  favor  of  our  work,  had  com- 
pletely won  their  hearts,  so  much  so  that  they  all 
promised  their  sympathy  and  aid.  Seeing  the  spires 
of  several  little  churches  in  our  vicinity,  I determined 
to  call  on  the  pastors,  hoping  to  induce  them  to  speak 
from  the  pulpits  in  favor  of  our  Home,  and  thus  to 
calm  the  people.  Mrs.  Barrett  and  I called  one  Sun- 
day morning  on  Rev.  Britton,  pastor  of  the 

little  Baptist  church  opposite  our  home.  As  soon 
as  I spoke  to  him  on  the  subject,  reminding  him 
of  what  the  ministers  had  promised,  and  begging  him 
to  say  something  for  us  to  his  people,  I was  met  with 
a most  decided  refusal.  He  said  “ so  far  from  speak- 
ing in  our  favor,  he  would  do  all  he  could  against  us, 
and  fight  us  to  the  best  of  his  ability.”  When 
reminded  of  what  the  clergyman  had  promised,  he 
said  : “ Yes,  but  he  had  never  thought  we  were  going 
to  locate  our  Home  right  in  front  of  his  church — 
that  we  had  better  go  and  take  a house  opposite  St. 
Luke’s  Cathedral,”  and  more  to  the  same  effect. 
This  was  so  discouraging  I gave  up  making  calls 
on  the  neighbors,  but  took  especial  care  that  nothing 
should  be  done  that  might  antagonize  any  one  in  the 
community. 

We  were  conscious  of  the  feeling  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  to  avoid  all  comment  kept  our  inmates  com- 
pletely secluded.  They  never  even  crossed  the  yard 


256 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


but  for  the  most  unavoidable  errands,  and  in  no  way 
whatever  gave  cause  for  comment  or  rebuke. 

About  this  time,  having  failed  to  gain  any  in- 
formation from  the  policeman,  a man  by  the  name  of 
Wesley,  who'  had  from  the  first  been  bitterly  opposed 
to  our  work  and  persecuted  us  in  every  way  possible, 
conceived  the  idea  of  gaining  the  much-desired  in- 
formation, as  to  whether  we  really  had  a Home  and 
received  inmates,  by  sending  a woman  from  one  of  the 
evil  houses,  who  was  to  represent  to  me  her  disgust 
with  the  life  she  had  been  leading  and  her  desire  tc 
reform  and  lead  a new  life.  I received  her  unsuspect- 
ingly and  questioned  her  as  to  her  past  life,  dwelling 
on  the  point  of  her  being  thoroughly  in  earnest  in  the 
matter,  and  pointing  her  to  Christ  as  her  only  means 
of  salvation,  at  the  same  time  promising,  if  she  were 
really  in  earnest,  to  give  her  all  the  help  in  my  power. 

I noticed  she  seemed  agitated,  and  thought  it  but 
natural ; but  at  this  point  she  broke  down  completel}", 
saying  : “I  can  go  on  with  this  no  longer.  I am  not 
what  I seem.”  She  then  told  me  who  had  sent  her 
and  for  what  purpose,  and  I told  her  when  she  returned 
to  tell  exactly  what  she  had  seen  and  what  I had  said 
to  her. 

Just  about  this  time  we  received  a visit  from  the 
council,  who  wished  to  investigate  the  work  which 
had  caused  so  much  sensation  in  Atlanta.  We  were 
only  too  glad  to  receive  them,  and  after  explaining  the 
nature  and  object  of  the  work,  they  visited  ever5^ 
room,  where  the  inmates  were  engaged  in  all  branches 
of  domestic  industry,  ending  by  visiting  the  nursery, 
where  they  were  much  affected  by  the  sight  of  so 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  257 

many  innocent,  helpless,  little  ones.  They  seemed  to 
feel  that  our  work  was  a good  one,  and  we  were  quite 
encouraged  to  hope  for  their  sympathy  ; but  even 
then  there  was  a petition  circulating,  signed  by  two  or 
three  hundred  citizens,  requesting  our  removal  from 
Peters  street,  and  we  were  obliged  to  meet  the  council 
to  consider  it. 

We  found  the  faction  who  were  so  much  against 
us,  headed  by  Mr.  Wesley,  whose  remarks  tended  to 
arouse  all  bitter  and  antagonistic  feeling.  Mrs. 
Barrett  quietly  rose,  and  in  the  course  of  a most 
beautiful  and  earnest  appeal,  called  on  the  gentleman 
to  mention  one  thing  he  knew  of  the  work,  which 
would  not  bear  the  eye  of  God  and  man  upon  it, 
engaging,  if  one  such  thing  could  be  specified,  to  give 
up  the  work  and  have  no  more  to  do  with  it.  The 
gentleman  was  obliged  to  admit  that  he  knew  of 
nothing  against  the  work.  Mrs.  Barrett’s  remarks 
were  also  the  means  of  convincing  Mr.  Rice,  of  the 
council,  that  he  had  not  before  thoroughly  understood 
the  nature  of  the  work,  and  to  our  great  j oy  he  yielded 
to  us  his  sympathy  and  aid  ; for  we  had  felt  the  im- 
portance of  securing  his  influence  in  our  undertaking. 

It  was  finally  decided  to  give  us  four  acres  of 
ground  on  land  owned  by  the  city,  on  which  stood  two 
small  cottages,  and  to  which  we  moved  as  soon  as 
they  could  be  rendered  in  any  degree  habitable  ; glad 
to  lie  down  under  a roof  we  need  not  fight  for,  and  in 
a neighborhood  where,  instead  of  frowning  looks, 
policemen  and  threatening  mobs,  we  could  enjoy 
God’s  clear  sky,  the  air  resinous  with  the  odor  of 
pines  and  heavy  with  the  fragrance  of  wild  flowers. 


258 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Though  living'  as  we  have  through  an  unprece- 
dentedly severe  winter,  crowded  together  in  a state  of 
great  discomfort,  yet  step  by  step  we  have  seen  ouj 
new  Florence  Crittenton  Home  rising  towards  its  com- 
pletion. 

From  the  very  inception  of  this  enterprise  until 
now  Mrs.  Barrett’s  enthusiastic  interest  in  the  work, 
her  indefatigable  zeal  in  working  and  talking  for  it, 
her  sweet,  womanly  courage  and  sympath}",  ever 
ready  in  the  darkest  hours,  has  been  our  mainstay 
and  comfort,  and  she  too,  rejoices  to  see  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Home  for  which  she  has  so  long  and 
patiently  toiled. 

PORTLAND,  OREGON. 

FORMER  REFUGE  HOME. 

In  July  of  1887,  the  Portland  Woman’s  Christian 
Temperance  Union  appointed  a committee  of  two, 
consisting  of  Mrs.  L.  C.  Peirce  and  the  writer,  with 
instructions  to  find  a building  suitable  to  be  used  for 
a temporary  home  for  women  and  girls  coming  to 
Portland,  strangers,  and  in  need  of  shelter  and  assist- 
ance while  seeking  employment. 

Its  attention  had  been  called  to  the  urgent  demand 
for  such  an  institution  by  its  intelligence  ofl&ce,  then 
in  charge  of  Mrs.  L.  C.  Peirce,  where  often  women 
came  to  look  for  work,  who,  while  doing  so,  were 
stopping  in  cheap  hotels,  aud  w'ho,  in  some  instances, 
were  so  reduced  in  their  circumstances  that  the  trunks 
containing  their  little  all  of  earthly  goods  were  held 
for  board.  These  cases,  and  that  of  the  innocent  girls 
who  came  occasionally  with  such  tender  youth  aud 


FIvORENCK  CRITTKNTON  MISSIONS. 


259 


utter  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  world,  forced  upon  us 
the  conviction  that  some  place  specially  designed  for 
their  succor  and  protection  was  greatest  among  the 
many  needs  of  Portland  for  active,  efficient,  moral  and 
saving  forces.  In  due  time  this  committee  made  a 
report,  and  the  result  of  the  conference  on  it  was  that 
the  W.  C.  T.  U.  voted  to  rent  the  house  recommended 
by  the  committee,  standing  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Second  and  Columbia  streets,  and  now  occupied  by 
the  Refuge  Home  for  erring  women. 

We  opened  the  Industrial  Home  August  15,  1887, 
with  two  inmates,  besides  a babe,  the  child  of  one  of 
them.  It  was  soon  found  that  the  unavoidable  ex- 
penses incident  to  the  house  were  greater  than  the 
local  Union  could  possibly  meet,  and  it  appealed  to 
the  Executive  Committee  of  the  State  W.  C.  T.  U. 
to  ask  if  it  would  adopt  the  enterprise  as  a depart- 
ment of  its  work. 

The  report  in  answer  by  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  State  Union  was  satisfactory,  and  was  brought 
before  the  Portland  Union,  and,  after  discussion,  a 
majority  voted  to  release  its  exclusive  right  to  the 
management  and  maintenance  of  the  Home,  and  vest 
it  in  the  State  Union. 

The  sole  eondition  of  this  transfer  of  responsibili- 
ties was  that  each  local  Union  in  the  State  of  Oregon 
should  pay  for  the  support  of  the  institution  not  less 
than  fifty  cents  per  month.  It  was  thought  that  this 
amount,  together  with  individual  gifts  which  were 
reasonably  to  be  expected,  and  nominal  sums  for 
rooms  and  board,  would  be  amply  adequate  to  its  sup- 
port ; but  at  the  meeting  of  the  State  W.  C.  T.U.  next 


26o 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


after  opening  the  house,  a period  of  nine  and  a half 
months,  it  was  found  that  there  had  been  an  expend- 
iture in  money  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
dollars  and  sixty-two  cents  more  than  accrued  from 
receipts,  and  that  this  sum,  together  with  bills  for 
furniture,  and  to  the  Woman’s  Exchange,  where  in- 
mates were  boarded  previous  to  any  arrangement  in 
the  house  for  that  purpose,  aggregated  an  indebted- 
ness of  two  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  and  forty- 
seven  cents  more  than  was  due  on  the  subscriptions 
on  which  the  Home  depended  mainly  for  its  support. 

If  we  consider  the  amount  of  debt  often  hanging 
over  benevolent  organizations,  missionary  societies, 
churches  even,  it  may  readily  be  conceded  that  we  did 
fairly  well  during  the  inception  of  the  undertaking. 
We  had  no  one  in  the  field  to  lay  the  matter  in  all  the 
magnitude  of  its  importance  before  the  local  unions, 
or  the  reasonable  conclusion  is  that  there  would  have 
been  no  deficit  and  consequently  no  anxiety  as  to  how 
to  meet  this  emergency.  They  did  nobly  for  the 
greater  part,  and  only  failed  to  rise  to  the  emergency 
because  it  failed  of  being  fully  and  clearly  presented 
to  their  attention.  We  pass  over  the  struggle  that 
ensued  in  our  efforts  to  discharge  this  debt.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  that  the  entire  amount  that  could  not  be  can- 
celed otherwise  was  assumed  as  a personal  responsi- 
bility by  a member  of  the  local  Board  of  Managers. 

Here  we  leave  for  a time  the  financial  aspect  of  the 
case,  and  consider  another  vital  phase  in  the  histoiy" 
of  this  effort  to  conserve  morality. 

“ There’s  a divinit}'  that  shapes  our  euds 
Rough-hew  them  how  we  will,” 


FLORECNE  CRITENTTON  MISSIONS. 


261 


and  He  was  directing  all  things  into  the  channel  of  His 
ultimate  purpose;  and  He  led  us  to  consider  the  project 
of  changing  this  to  another  kind  of  Home,  for  which 
there  exists  a great  and  growing  need  in  Portland  to- 
day, with  nothing  that  answers  to  anything  like  its 
purpose  already  in  the  field  ; while  we  feel  that  the 
Woman’s  Home,  corner  Fourteenth  and  F streets,  is, 
in  part,  meeting  the  object  of  our  Home,  as  conducted 
up  to  this  date.  Hence,  there  being  now  a greater 
necessity  for  a first  effort  to  establish  a house  of  refuge 
for  erring  women  and  girls,  the  desire  to  found  the 
initial  one,  born  of  this  conviction,  pressed  upon  us 
and  deepened  until  we  opened  all  our  hearts  to  the 
local  board  of  managers,  and  to  our  great  surprise 
found  that  the}',  too,  were  fully  ripe  for  this  change  in 
the  character  and  object  of  the  Industrial  Home  as  it 
had  solely  and  singly  been  hitherto.  In  this  capacity, 
during  the  eighteen  months  that  have  elapsed  since  the 
inauguration  of  the  enterprise,  it  has  sheltered  vary- 
ing lengths  of  time  nearly  two  hundred  adults  and 
forty  children,  aside  from  one  hundred  enrolled  in  the 
Kindergarten,  Industrial  School  and  Day  Nursery. 

At  once  the  Board  of  Managers  proceeded  to  incor- 
porate under  the  name  of  “ Refuge  Home  ” and  peti- 
tion the  State  Legislature  for  an  appropriation  for  its 
support.  The  articles  of  incorporation  are  so  drawn 
as  to  admit  of  carrying  on  different  branches  of  be- 
nevolent work,  and  so  that  at  any  time,  should  it  be 
desirable  to  revive  the  original  object  of  the  Home  as 
a branch  of  this  work,  we  may  do  so  legally.  The 
State  Legislature,  convening  in  January  of  the  cur- 
rent year,  in  February  of  the  same  passed  an  act 


262 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


appropriating  to  our  work  the  sum  of  $5,000,  payable 
in  two  equal,  annual  installments,  for  which  we  thank 
it  and  God  who  inspired  its  heart  and  understanding 
to  so  favor  us  that  we  are  now  enabled  to  open  a 
Refuge  for  those,  to  one  of  whom  the  Saviour  said, 
“ Neither  do  I condemn  thee.  Go  and  sin  no  more.” 

We  are  much  indebted,  for  the  success  of  our  In- 
dustrial Home,  to  our  treasurer,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Dal- 
gliesh,  whose  energies  have  been  unflinching  from  the 
first. 

PAST  WORK  DONE  IN  THE  CHILDREN’S  DEPARTMENT. 

This  branch  of  our  effort  has  been  under  the  entire 
management  of  Miss  Ahern,  and  w’as  a success  from 
the  first,  as  well  as  a great  pleasure  to  those  of  us  who 
have  noted  her  diligent  and  self-sacrificing  labors.  It 
is  due  to  Miss  Ahern  that  we  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  she  has  acted  not  only  as  teacher  and  manager 
of  the  kindergarten  and  industrial  school,  but  to  these 
duties  in  many  instances  superadded  the  labor  of  nurse 
for  inmates  of  the  Home,  as  well  as  that  of  frequent 
visitation  and  watching  with  sick  among  her  pupils  ; 
and  since  September  last  has  been  acting  matron  of 
the  Home,  harmonizing  discordant  elements  that  from 
time  to  time  thrust  themselves  among  us,  looking 
after  domestic  and  financial  details  with  as  much  zeal 
and  fidelity  as  if  it  all  were  her  own  private,  personal 
enterprise  ; often  using  her  own  salar}"  to  meet  neces- 
sary outlays ; proving  conclusive!}'  that  she  may  be 
depended  upon  in  exigencies  and  adversity.  May 
she  live  long  to  carry  on  the  kindergarten  and  other 
branches  of  children’s  work  as  State  superintendent 


Florence;  critten'ton  missions.  263 

of  that  department,  for  the  Woman’s  Christian  Tem- 
perance Union. 

TO  OUR  FRIENDS  IN  REGARD  TO  FUTURE  WORK. 

We  earnestly  solicit  the  encouragement  and  aid  of 
all  philanthropic,  benevolent  and  Christian  persons  in 
carrying  out  this  great  work.  Especially  we  look  to 
the  churches  of  God,  by  whatsoever  name,  irrespective 
of  creeds  and  denominations,  to  co-operate  with  us  in 
this  movement,  which  is  essentially  for  the  salvation 
of  the  lost,  and  intended  to  supplement  its  work  by 
helping  those  that  in  the  discharge  of  its  usual  func- 
tions it  cannot  so  well  reach  as  we. 

To  the  philanthropist,  we  appeal  for  sympathy  in 
the  many  difficulties  sure  to  meet  us  at  each  step  of 
the  troubled  way. 

To  the  benevolent,  we  appeal  for  financial  assist- 
ance. By  the  provisions  of  the  legislature  it  is 
possible  with  present  prospects,  to  meet  ordinary 
expenses  ; but  should  the  number  of  inmates  increase 
to  the  full  capacity  of  the  building,  it  will  hardly  be 
possible  to  keep  within  limit  of  the  appropriation 
fund.  And  then,  again,  we  desire  to  purchase  land 
with  a view  to  building  and  owning  a home  of  our 
own,  which  certainly  we  should  do  ; and  for  this  pur- 
pose we  have  no  provision  whatever,  outside  of  one 
thousand  dollars  pledged  by  a single  individual.  We 
think  it  behooves  us  now  and  here  to  anticipate,  as 
far  as  may  be,  all  probable  future  needs. 

Earnestly  we  pray  that  God  will  fill  our  Refuge 
with  those  for  whom  it  is  intended,  who  sigh  for  release 
from  the  loathsome  prison-houses  of  sin  and  shame. 


264 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Also  we  pray  that  God  will  give  us  a house  of  our 
own  in  which  to  receive  them.  We  believe  each  of 
these  petitions  to  be  in  accordance  with  His  will,  hence 
our  confidence  in  bringing  all  our  work  and  plans  to 
Him,  trusting  for  a successful  issue,  and  look  to  those 
to  whom  we  appeal  as  the  instruments  through  which 
His  will  is  to  be  performed.  Not  least  among  the 
causes  we  have  for  thanksgiving  and  belief  in  our 
ultimate  success,  is  the  accomplished  fact  that 
already  we  have  in  Mrs.  Martha  Kersey  a matron 
whose  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  as  well  as  her 
unusual  ability  in  every  way,  fit  her  for  the  position, 
so  that  the  entire  supervision  of  the  Refuge  Home 
promises  to  be  all  our  hearts  can  desire  in  the  way  of 
domestic  and  religious  influences. 

As  a band  of  Christian  w^omen  we  promise  to  exer- 
cise a spirit  of  charit5’  toward  the  outcast  women  and 
do  all  in  our  power  to  protect  them  from  further  degra- 
dation, also  to  maintain  the  laws  of  purity  as  equallj’ 
binding  upon  men  and  w'onien. 

An  Evangelistic  Committee,  of  which  Mrs.  Fanny 
Montgomery  is  chairman,  will  co-operate  with  Mrs. 
Kensey  in  looking  after  the  moral  and  religions  inter- 
ests of  the  inmates,  in  conducting  Bible  readings  and 
all  religious  services  deemed  desirable  to  the  work  of 
saving  the  fallen. 

We  have  learned  to  love  the  work,  because  of  the 
wounded  hearts  we  have  been  instrumental  in  heal- 
ing, and  the  buried  hopes  that  have  been  revived. 

We  are  indebted  to  Doctors  Frazer  and  Richmond 
Kelley  for  most  faithful  services,  rendered  in  visiting 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS- 


265 


the  Home  whenever  called  upon,  and  giving  extra 
attention  to  special  cases. 

The  following  is  a statement  of  the  ages  and  num- 
ber of  inmates  since  our  last  report,  October,  1890  : 


Number  under  14  years  of  age 33 

Number  between  14  and  18  years  of  age 53 

Number  between  18  and  24  years  of  age 18 

Number  past  24  years  of  age 4 

Total 108 


BOARD  OP  MANAGERS. 

Mrs.  Anna  R.  Riggs,  President,  Mrs.  I.  H.  Amos, 
Vice-President,  Mrs.  R.  T.  Rankin,  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Mrs.  Susie  Foster,  Recording  Secretary, 
Mrs.  Hessie  Shane,  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Julia  Snyder,  In- 
structor and  Superintendent  of  Sewing,  Mrs.  John 
Barrett,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Shipley,  Mrs.  William  Wadhams, 
Mrs.  Ellen  Sickafoose,  Mrs.  R.  M.  Robb,  Mrs.  M.  H. 
Holbrook,  Mrs.  James  Steel,  Mrs.  Elijah  Corbitt,  Mrs. 
W.  S.  Ladd,  Mrs.  John  Williamson,  Mrs.  M.  L. 
Driggs,  Mrs.  Ahern  Sickafoose,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Moreland, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Dalgleish,  Mrs.  Capt.  Kern. 

Mrs.  Anna  R.  Riggs,  Presidejit. 

As  Portland,  Oregon,  was  one  of  the  places 
selected  by  the  National  Woman’s  Christian  Temper- 
ance Union  for  one  of  the  Florence  Crittenton  Mis- 
sions under  W.  C.  T.  U.  auspices,  the  Home  takes  its 
new  name.  Mrs.  Riggs  modestly  says  but  little  of 
her  own  heroic  efforts  in  founding  the  Refuge  Home  ; 
but  it  is  but  just  to  her  to  say  that  from  the  first  she 
was  the  leading  spirit,  and,  being  at  the  same  time 


266 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


President  of  the  Oregon  W.  C.  T.  U.,  she  used  her 
influence  to  have  the  work  adopted  as  a State  Depart- 
ment. As  it  now  belongs  to  the  chain  of  Florence 
Crittenton  Missions,  whose  very  name  is  a Mascot, 
no  doubt  its  future  work  will,  like  the  work  of  the 
past,  redound  to  the  glory  of  God. 

DENVER,  COLORADO. 

At  the  National  W.  C.  T.  U.  Convention  held  in 
Denver,  1892,  Mr.  Crittenton  addressed  the  ladies  so 
earnestly  on  the  need  of  a place  of  refuge,  and  through 
Miss  Willard  and  National  W.  C.  T.  U.  made  his 
generous  offer  of  $1,000  to  the  state  for  that  purpose. 
Our  white-ribbon  sisters  realized  the  demand  was  im- 
perative that  steps  be  taken  at  once  to  make  a home  for 
those  desiring  to  lead  better  lives.  Especiall}'  was  this 
urgent,  as  during  the  revival  services  of  Fred  Schiverea 
and  Gypsy  Smith  several  were  led  to  believe  and  hope 
for  remission  of  sins  in  obeying  the  Saviour’s  com- 
mand, “Go  and  sin  no  more.’’  Consequent!}"  at  a 
council  of  the  Unions  at  headquarters  it  was  decided 
to  hold  a mass-meeting  in  Trinitj"  church  and  people 
were  interested  in  the  work,  presided  over  by  Mrs.  M. 
A.  Brazee,  Vice-President  Colorado  W.  C.  T.  U.  With 
due  deliberation  a permanent  organization  and  cor- 
poration was  formed  with  the  following  officers  : IMrs. 
Governor  Waite,  President ; Mrs.  Battis,  first  Vice- 
President  ; Mrs.  S.  M.  W.  Likens,  second  Vice-Presi- 
dent ; Mrs.  A.  A.  Cameron,  Corresponding  Secretar}' ; 
Mrs.  C.  M.  Craise,  Recording  Secretary,  succeeded  b}" 
Mrs.  Quin  ; Treasurer,  Mrs.  Dr.  Ordwa}",  succeeded 
by  Mrs.  Rev.  Spencer.  A Board  of  Directors  was 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  HOME,  DENVER,  COLO. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  267 

selected,  several  committees  appointed,  and  all  went  to 
work  with  great  earnestness.  Too  much  credit  can- 
not be  given  Mrs.  Battis  and  Mrs.  Likens,  superin- 
tendent Rescue  work,  Colorado  W.  C.  T.  U.,  for  their 
untiring  efforts.  Mrs.  Craise  is  W.  C.  T.  U.  city 
missionary  and  most  efficient.  Most  of  the  churches 
responded  nobly,  setting  apart  certain  evenings  in  the 
interest  of  the  Home.  I feel  special  mention  should 
be  made  of  Dr.  Kerr  B.  Tupper,  who  donated  the  col- 
lection of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  the  proceeds 
of  the  sale  of  a sermon  to  the  Home.  Since  then  he 
has  given  thirty  volumes  from  his  own  library  as  a 
nucleus  for  a library.  To  the  merchants  of  the  city 
we  are  largely  indebted  for  most  of  the  elegant  fur- 
niture, and  nearly  all  the  supplies  for  the  table  since 
the  establishment  of  the  Home.  The  Episcopal  sis- 
ters, furnished  one  room.  All  our  papers  have  aided 
us  greatly  by  reporting  our  work  and  urging  the 
need  of  contributions. 

A lease  was  secured  of  a commodious  house,  No. 
3138  Lawrence  street,  and  an  experienced  matron, 
Mrs.  Moore  of  Canada,  put  in  charge.  Religious 
services  are  held  once  a week.  We  have  an  efficient 
Board  of  lady  physicians  who  willingly  donate  their 
services  and  time. 

Although  these  friendless  ones  come  to  us  from 
the  whole  state,  the  work  for  the  first  six  months  was 
done  under  the  auspices  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  of  Den- 
ver. The  expense  was  met  by  the  sisters,  and  the 
generous  gifts  of  the  citizens.  When  the  State  Con- 
vention met  at  Boulder,  September  22,  1893,  they 
indorsed  the  work  done,  accepted  it  as  state  work, 


268 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


and  placed  it  under  the  same  superintendency  as  the 
Cottage  Home,  a similar  institution,  and  the  Or- 
phans’ Home,  both  under  the  auspices  of  the  \V.  C. 
T.  U.  . The  State  Convention  also  set  apart  Mr. 
Crittenton’s  donation  of  one  thousand  dollars,  as  a 
building  fund. 

Many  sad  tales  have  been  confided  to  us  in  the 
Home,  and  often  the  first  fatal  steps  have  been  taken 
in  the  wealthy  and  cultured  circles.  It  is  the  old 
story  of  ruin  traced  to  the  sparkling  wine. 

One  particularly  sad  case  thrilled  us  through  and 
through  with  indignation  as  Mrs.  Likens  related  it  to 
us.  A young  girl  who  became  engaged  to  a young 
man  who  was  unworthy  of  her,  asked  her  one  Sunda}’ 
evening  to  come  and  take  supper  with  him  at  his 
aunt’s.  Unsuspecting  she  went,  and  found  herself  a 
prisoner  in  a house  of  ill-fame.  Perfectly  frantic,  she 
begged  and  implored  the  keeper  to  let  her  go,  but  was 
told  that  her  lover  intended  to  keep  her  there  as  his 
mistress.  Enraged  at  his  perfidy  she  said,  “ I will  be 
ruined,  but  not  by  him,”  and  every  entreat}"  on  his 
part  could  not  change  her  decision  ; but  she  taunt- 
ingly replied,  ‘‘I  will  be  ruined,  but  not  by  you.” 
Still  her  womauhood  was  not  after  all  so  near  zero  as 
she  thought,  and  several  days  passed  by,  she  still 
keeping  her  purity,  even  in  that  dreadful  place. 

One  night  a patron  of  the  establishment,  who  had 
a spark  of  manhood  left,  knowing  she  was  making  a 
desperate  fight  for  purity,  said  to  her,  ‘‘You  ought 
not  to  be  here.”  She  replied,  almost  in  a whisper, 
‘‘For  God’s  sake  help  me  get  away.”  He  said, 
‘‘Very  well,  follow  my  plan,  and  I will.  I’ll  tell  the 


Florence;  crittenton  missions.  269 

keeper  I want  to  take  you  for  a drive,  and  as  I am  one 
of  the  most  wealthy  patrons,  she  dare  not  refuse,” 
Trembling  in  every  limb,  yet  compelled  to  appear  as 
though  she  had  accepted  base  proposals  from  this  man, 
she  went  with  him  and  he  conducted  her  to  Mrs. 
Likens,  who  took  her  to  the  Cottage  Home,  then  the 
only  W.  C.  T.  U.  refuge  in  Denver  for  erring  girls. 
Now  mark  the  venomous  hate  of  these  villains:  A 
position  was  found  for  her  and  she  was  earning  an 
honest  living,  when  one  day  she  was  confronted  by 
her  old-time  lover  who  had  tried  to  seduce  her.  Again 
he  tried  his  wiles,  but  she  repelled  him  with  the  ut- 
most scorn.  “Then,”  said  he,  “ you  shall  hever  have 
honest  work  in  Denver.  I’ll  tell  your  employer  you 
have  been  an  inmate  of  a house  of  ill-fame.”  “But 
you  know  how  I came  to  be  imprisoned  there  through 
no  fault  of  my  own,  and  I never  lost  my  purity.” 

“ That  does  n’t  make  any  difference,  no  man  or  wo- 
man will  employ  a girl  that  has  been  in  a house  of  in- 
famy.” “Yes,  but  this  man  for  whom  I work  frequents 
such  places, and  when  I tell  him  all  about  my  innocence, 
surely  he  won’t  discharge  me  when  I’m  trying  so 
hard  to  live  an  honorable  life.”  “ Humph  ! those  are 
just  the  kind  of  fellows  that  won’t  let  you  have  a 
chance  and  before  to-night  you’ll  be  dismissed  and 
any  other  place  you  get  I’ll  drive  you  out  of.  If  you 
won’t  be  my  mistress  you  sha’n’t  stay  in  Denver.” 
True  to  his  word  he  did  get  her  employer  to  dismiss 
her,  though  she  told  him  all  her  story.  In  an  agony 
of  despair  she  went  to  Mrs.  Likens,  who  immediately 
secured  her  another  place.  But  this  fiendish  man  who 
well  illustrates  the  proverb,  “ there’s  no  one  whom  we 


270  the;  traffic  in  girls. 

so  hate  as  one  we  have  injured,”  dogged  her  again, 
and  three  different  positions  he  caused  her  to  lose  by 
his  infamous  persecution.  She  was  compelled  to 
leave  Denver,  Mrs.  Dikens  securing  her  a place  else- 
where, but  she  has  never  swerved  from  a life  of  puritJ^ 
What  must  we  think  of  society  that  will  honor  such  a 
man  and  help  him  to  damn  a woman  because,  forsooth, 
she  will  not  become  his  mistress.  Such  men  by  the 
hundred  chase  our  dear  rescued  girls  and  by  ever>" 
means  in  their  power  try  to  drag  them  back  to  the  old 
life. 

Mrs.  Florence  Montgomery  Taylor,  of  Chicago,  has 
generously  offered  for  the  use  of  the  Denver  Florence 
Crittenton  Home  several  acres  of  land  near  Dundy, 
Nebraska,  where  our  girls  can  raise  chickens  and 
flowers  and  vegetables  and  dairy  products,  and  thus 
keep  their  little  ones  with  them.  It  is  wonderful  how 
God  is  raising  up  noble  helpers  in  this  blessed  cause. 
We  are  under  obligations  to  Mrs.  M.  J.  Morrill,  one 
of  the  grand  white-ribboners  of  Denver  for  much  of 
the  information  in  the  report  of  the  Florence  Critton- 
ton  Home  of  Denver. 


[ From  the  Denver  Republican.] 

TIRED  OF  THE  LIFE— THE  BRAND  PLUCKED  FROM 
THE  BURNING. 

“That’s  one  brand  plucked  from  the  burning,  I 
hope,”  said  Police  Matron  Dikens,  with  much  satisfac- 
tion yesterday,  as  she  returned  from  a drive  to  the 
Florence  Crittenton  Home.  The  cause  of  the  police 
matron’s  complacent  exclamation  was  a little  different 


FI.ORENCK  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  271 

from  that  which  usually  makes  necessary  a carriage 
ride  to  the  asylum  of  the  frail  sisterhood. 

Women  of  the  street  generally  go  to  the  Florence 
Crittenton  Home,  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd, 
the  Cottage  Home  and  kindred  Denver  houses  of  re- 
demption via  the  city  jail  or  the  justice  court.  They 
are  chiefly  3"Oung  girls  who  hardly  realize  that  they 
have  gone  astray  and  for  whom  there  is  hope,  or  they 
are  more  advanced  women  who  know  it  too  well  and 
see  little  in  the  future  but  dissipation  and  despair. 

The  woman  who  went  with  Matron  Likens  yes- 
terday was  a young  girl,  a dweller  on  the  threshold 
of  sin,  and  her  recreancy  from  the  life  of  shame,  upon 
which  she  had  but  entered,  was  a voluntary  act. 
Near  noon  she  drove  up  in  a carriage  to  the  Four- 
teenth street  entrance  of  the  central  station,  and  pay- 
ing the  hackman,  hurriedly  inquired  for  the  matron’s 
quarters.  An  ofi&cer  showed  her  upstairs  to  the  place 
and  she  stepped  in.  Her  form  was  wrapped  in  a 
waterproof  mantle  and  she  never  raised  the  heavy 
veil  she  wore  until  the  door  of  the  matron’s  ofiice 
closed  behind  her  and  she  was  alone  with  Mrs. 
Likens. 

Then  she  unbuttoned  the  wet  mantle  and  lifted  the 
veil.  Under  the  mantle  was  a costly-looking  dress  of 
light  material,  and  cut  in  a style  not  usually  worn  on 
the  street.  It  was  more  pronouncedly  decollete  than 
a ball-room  dress — ^and  that  is  all  need  be  said.  The 
girl’s  face  was  honest-looking,  her  complexion  fresh, 
her  eyes  bright,  with  the  dew  and  light  of  innocence 
still  in  them. 

The  matron  was  a little  puzzled  as  to  the  character 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


272 

of  her  visitor.  “Sit  down,”  she  said,  “and  take  your 
things  off.”  The  waterproof,  bonnet  and  veil  were 
laid  away,  and  then  the  two  women  looked  at  each 
other. 

“ What  can  I do  for  you,  my  dear?”  the  matron 
asked.  The  girl  blushed,  coughed  once  or  twice  and 
then  burst  out : “ Tve  been  living  a bad  life  ; there’s 

nothing  in  it  but  misery,  and  I’m  sick  of  the  whole 
thing  !” 

“ Go  on,  child  ; ” said  Mrs.  Likens,  encouragingljL 

HER  STORY. 

“ My  name  is  Jennie  Moore,”  went  on  the  girl,  “ I 
came  down  on  the  train  from  Como  to-day.  I heard 
of  the  Florence  Crittenton  Home  and  want  to  go  in 
there.”  Then  she  told  her  story.  The  details  are 
not  necessary.  Such  stories  are  pitifull}'  alike  up  to  a 
certain  point.  This  one,  however,  diverged  radically 
from  the  general  downward  trend  at  that  point. 

Jenni'e  Moore  went  wrong  as  many  other  girls  go 
wrong.  She  took  the  same  after-plunge  into  a life  df 
dissipation.  From  her  home  in  Kansas  an  offer  of  a 
gay  life  and  plenty  of  money  induced  her  to  go  to  the 
Colorado  mountain  town,  Como,  and  she  was  installed 
in  a house  there.  She  went  with  e3ms  open,  but  they 
were  soon  opened  wider.  She  saw  nothing  in  the  life 
but  misery,  as  she  herself  expressed  it.  To  the  5’oung 
girl  (she  gave  her  age  as  19)  there  was  nothing  gay  to 
be  found  in  such  compaii}'. 

She  told  the  woman  in  charge  of  the  house  that  she 
wanted  to  leave,  but  the  landlady  brutall}’  replied  that 
she  could  not  go  until  she  paid  her  expenses.  As 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  273 

the  “expenses ” made  up  a big  bill,  and  Jennie  Moore 
did  not  have  more  than  ten  dollars,  she  was  compelled 
to  remain  a veritable  prisoner  in  the  house.  In  the 
Denver  papers  she  had  read  about  the  Florence  Critten- 
ton  Home  and  the  fact  that  Matron  Likens  was  con- 
nected with  it.  She  made  up  her  mind  to  leave  Como 
on  the  first  opportunity  and  apply  for  admission. 

Yesterday  the  opportunity  came.  While  the 
keeper  and  most  of  her  fellow  inmates  were  sleeping 
off  the  effects  of  Saturday  night’s  debauch,  Jennie 
Moore  donned  a waterproof,  bonnet  and  veil,  and  in 
the  scant  dress  of  her  kind,  stole  out  of  the  house  and 
took  an  early  train  for  Denver. 

With  the  money  left  she  hired  a hack  at  the  Union 
depot,  drove  to  police  headquarters  and  threw  herself 
on  the  mercies  of  the  matron. 

After  hearing  her  story  Mrs.  Likens  promised  the 
girl  every  assistance  in  her  purpose  of  turning  over  a 
new  leaf.  She  explained  to  her  that  her  stay  at  the 
Florence  Crittenton  Home  could  not  be  of  long  dura- 
tion, and  asked  herwhat  she  meant  to  do  after  leaving 
there.  “I  will  work  at  anything  I can  get  to  do,” 
said  the  girl  determinedly,  “but  I’ll  never  go  back  to 
that  life  again.”  The  police  matron  believes  the  girl 
will  keep  her  word. 


The  above  clipping  from  the  Denver  Republican 
shows  how  wonderfully  the  press  can  aid  our  work  ; 
with  a consecrated  press,  we  could  take  the  world  for 
Christ.  Our  debt  to  the  printed  page  both  of  leaflet, 
book  and  newspaper  can  never  be  known  this  side  of 
eternity.  Newspaper  men  are  usually  sympathetic 


274  'The  trapeic  in  girls. 

and  kind-hearted  and  want  to  help  these  girls  out  of 
their  wretched  life,  and  when  everybody  interested  in 
rescue  work  writes  a personal  letter  of  thanks  to  the 
managmg  editor  for  every  helpful  article  which  appears, 
also  assuring  hhn  of  financial  support  hi  the  shape  of 
subscriptions,  social  purity  articles  would  become  so 
popular  that  a revolutionized  public  sentiment  would 
speedily  sweep  away  this  awful  traffic  in  girls. 

FARGO,  NORTH  DAKOTA. 

The  State  W.  C.  T.  U.  of  North  Dakota  was  or- 
ganized in  September,  1889.  Miss  Adelaide  M.  Kin- 
near  was  elected  President.  In  the  following  winter 
an  appeal  was  made  to  her  from  one  of  the  local 
unions  in  reference  to  a 3^oung  girl  who,  having  gone 
astray,  was  exerting  a bad  influence  over  the  boj'S  and 
girls  of  the  town.  The  girl  was  eighteen  j'ears  of 
age,  had  no  one  to  care  for  her,  and  had  had  a bad 
example  set  before  her  all  her  life.  As  our  state  was 
new,  there  was  no  place  for  her  save  the  common  jail 
or  penitentiary.  We  appealed  to  the  Bethanj^  Home 
at  Minneapolis,  but  they  refused  to  take  her  because 
she  was  diseased.  Miss  Kinnear  then  wrote  to  Mrs. 
Carse  and  a few  personal  friends  in  Chicago,  and  Mrs. 
Carse  Anally  succeeded  in  placing  her  in  one  of  the 
charitable  institutions  of  that  cit}".  We  were  all  ex- 
ceedingly thankful  to  our  great  Temple  general  for 
aiding  us  in  the  care  of  our  erring  sister.  This  cir- 
cumstance opened  our  e3"es  to  the  need  of  a Chris- 
tian Home,  in  our  own  state,  where  the  tempted  and 
fallen  could  be  rescued  “ In  His  Name.” 

As  Miss  Kinnear  went  about  she  mentioned  the 


FLORENCE  CRIFTENTON  MISSIONS.  275 

fact  to  the  women  of  our  local  Unions,  and  urged  them 
to  plan  and  pray  for  such  a Home.  At  our  first  annual 
convention  held  in  J amestown  the  following  September, 
Mrs.  M.  V.  Wood,  State  Corresponding  Secretary,  told 
the  story  of  the  poor  girl  whom  we  had  sent  to  Chicago, 
in  her  report  on  Purity,  and  attempted  to  arouse  our 
women  to  the  pressing  need  of  work  in  this  direction. 
At  the  second  annual  convention,  September,  1891, 
Miss  Kinnear  mentioned  the  need  again,  in  her  an- 
nual address,  in  the  following  language  : 

“As  case  after  case  of  misery  and  wretchedness 
has  been  brought  to  my  notice,  I have  felt  the  great 
need  of  a home  for  the  poor  unfortunates  of  our  state. 
In  each  of  these  fallen,  suffering  mortals  we  should 
recognize  a sister,  one  for  whom  Christ  died  ; that 
His  death  for  such  an  one  shall  not  be  in  vain,  may 
lie  largely  with  you  and  with  me. 

“ Responsibility  is  a many-sided  word.  Somebody 
is  responsible  for  many  of  these  outcasts  remaining 
such.  Is  it  you?  Is  it  I ? We  are  to-day  indebted 
to  the  kindness  of  Chicago  ladies  for  the  care  of  one 
of  these  fallen  ones  of  our  state.  We  had  no  place 
for  her,  and  these  ladies  kindly  received  her  into  one 
of  their  institutions.  Let  us  plan,  and  hope,  and  pray 
for  the  day  when  we  can  gather  these  unfortunates 
into  a home  within  the  borders  of  our  state,  where 
Christian  influences  shall  surround  them  morn,  noon 
and  night.  This  must  be  a part  of  our  work  in  the 
future,  for,  ‘ Souls  are  made  sweet,  not  by  taking  the 
acid  fluids  out,  but  by  putting  something  in — a great 
love,  a new  spirit,  the  spirit  of  Christ.’  ” 

The  next  day  Miss  Lmma  F.  Bates  made  an  ear- 


276 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


nest  plea  for  such  a home.  A committee  was  appointed 
to  canvass  the  matter.  This  committee  in  their  re- 
port favored  the  appointment  of  a standing  commit- 
tee to  arrange  for  the  opening  of  a Home  in  Fargo 
during  the  year.  The  committee  were  Mesdames  E. 
Ashley  Hears,  Jennie  Benedict,  Marie  Van  Wormer, 
and  E.  R.  Edwards.  The  latter  could  not  serve,  and 
Dr.  Anna  Hill  was  appointed  in  her  place. 

This  committee  held  a meeting,  and  after  earnest 
prayer,  decided  that  nothing  could  be  done,  until  at 
least  one  hundred  dollars  had  been  pledged.  This 
amount  was  soon  raised,  and  a small  house  was  hired 
for  eight  dollars  per  mouth  ; but  in  a few  days  this 
property  was  sold  and  they  were  obliged  to  seek  other 
quarters.  The  onl}^  available  place  was  an  old  build- 
ing formerly  used  for  a county  hospital.  The  rent 
was  fifteen  dollars  per  month,  and  it  seemed  a great 
undertaking  to  hire  this  place,  but  faith  again  sur- 
mounted the  difficulty,  the  house  was  hired,  and 
donations  came  flowing  freely  from  churches  and 
individuals,  so  that  soon  the  Home  was  ready  for 
occupancy.  At  the  time  of  the  next  state  convention 
eight  inmates  were  sheltered  beneath  its  friendly  roof. 
The  president  at  that  meeting  referred  to  it,  on  this 
wise,  in  her  annual  address  : 

THE  HOME. 

East  year  in  my  address  I placed  before  you  the 
needs  of  a home  for  unfortunate  women,  and  urged 
you  to  plan,  hope  and  pray  for  the  day  when  such  a 
refuge  within  the  borders  of  our  own  state  would  be- 
come a reality.  The  following  da}’  Miss  Bates  pre- 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  277 

sented  the  same  subject  to  you,  and  finally  a standing 
committee  was  appointed  to  spy  out  the  land,  and  if 
possible  go  up  and  take  possession.  No  mistake  was 
made  in  the  selection  of  this  committee. 

These  women  have  been  equal  to  the  emergency, 
and,  although  a “Gideon’s  Band,’’  have  accomplished 
wonders.  Located  in  the  city  of  Fargo,  is  now  in 
running  order  a large,  commodious  and  ’homelike 
Home,  containing  to-day  eight  inmates.  I will  not 
encroach  upon  the  domain  of  the  committee  by  de- 
scribing the  building  to  you,  but  will  simply  say  that, 
as  I visited  the  Home  a few  days  ago,  went  from  room 
to  room,  noted  the  pure  atmosphere  and  saw  with  the 
eye  of  faith,  peering  down  through  the  years,  the 
white  souls  of  those  who  had  been  redeemed  here,  by 
putting  in  a great  love,  a new  spirit,  even  the  spirit  of 
Christ,  I felt  like  saying  with  him  of  old,  “ Loose 
thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot  for  the  place  whereon  thou 
standeth  is  holy.’’  “Who  is  sufficient  for  these 
things  ? ’’ 

One  short  year  ago  this  Home  was  only  a thought 
in  the  minds  of  a few  women  ; to-day  it  is  a standing 
reality,  sheltering  and  protecting  from  the  chilling 
winds  of  adversity,  and  even  of  sin,  God’s  suffering 
ones.  “ As  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these  my  little  ones  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.’’  The 
heavenly  Father  has  given  unto  us  a sacred  trust  and 
will  hold  us  responsible  for  the  fulfillment  of  duty. 
This  trust  will  require  constant  care,  daily  prayer, 
and  often  great  sacrifice,  but  He  who  has  rolled  the 
burden  upon  us  will  direct  our  every  effort  and 
strengthen  our  feeble  hands. 


278 


THE  Traffic  in  gires. 


“My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.”  During  this 
convention  and  through  the  coming  years,  your  care- 
ful thought  and  prayerful  consideration  will  ever  be 
needed  for  the  advancement  of  this  Home,  for  as  yet 
only  the  initial  steps  have  been  taken,  and  there  are 
“ More  to  follow.” 

During  the  following  year,  the  Home  gained  in- 
fluence and  helpfulness.  Many  unfortunates  were 
tenderly  cared  for,  and  the  people  of  city  and  state 
began  to  regard  this  as  a Christlike  w’ork.  The  press 
and  the  church  aided  grandly  our  Home. 

Just  at  the  close  of  this  year  Mr.  Crittenton’s 
muniflcent  gift  was  most  thankfully  received,  and  at 
the  convention  just  held  in  Larimore,  a rising  vote  of 
thanks  was  tendered  him,  and  the  name  of  his  sainted 
child,  Florence  Crittenton,  was  given  to  another 
Home.  The  lots  have  been  purchased,  and  w’ork  has 
already  begun  on  the  new  building,  which  we  trust 
will  be  an  ornament  to  the  city,  and  a blessing  to 
many  friendless  ones. 

The  new  board  of  directors  are  the  following  : 

Mrs.  E.  A.  Mears,  Mrs.  Jennie  Benedict,  Dr.  Anna 
S.  Hill,  Mrs.  M.  V.  Wood,  Mrs.  H.  L.  Campbell 
and  Miss  Adelaide  M.  Kinnear,  all  of  Fargo  ; Mrs. 
M.  S.  Titus,  Mints  ; Mrs.  Ida  G.  Fox,  Valley  City  ; 
Mrs.  L-  B.  Chamberlin,  Elliott ; Mrs.  N.  N.  Fuller, 
Larimore.  Respectfully  yours, 

M,  V.  Wood. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENEON  MISSIONS.  279 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS. 

The  Chicago  Woman’s  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  of  which  Mrs.  Matilda  B.  Carse,  the  famous 
founder  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  Temple,  is  President,  has 
done  a stupendous  work  for  the  rescue  of  girls  through 
the  “Anchorage.”  In  1886  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard 
and  Dr.  Kate  C.  Bushnell  felt  that  the  work  must  be 
taken  up  and  that  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  should  not  spend 
all  its  energies  in  reclaiming  men,  and  do  nothing  for 
women.  At  that  time  public  sentiment  had  not  been 
so  aroused  upon  the  subject  as  it  is  now  and  many  of 
the  women  demurred  at  trying  to  do  anything  for 
these  creatures  whom  they  had  been  trained  to  think 
were  hopelessly  lost.  But  Miss  Willard,  with  her 
characteristic  sweet  persuasiveness,  persevered,  and 
they  timidly  consented  and  opened  a Mission  called 
Rehoboth  (Still  there’s  room),  at  40  4th  Avenue, 
in  which  Miss  Carrie  Moffatt  was  an  indefatigable 
worker,  and  where  much  good  was  accomplished. 

“Mother”  Prindle,  now  the  matron  of  the  New 
York  Florence  Crittenton  Mission,  one  of  the  best 
known  rescue  workers  in  the  United  States,  was  the 
first  matron,  and  Mrs.  M.  A.  Davis,  who  gave  up 
everything  for  her  erring  sisters,  was  and  is  the  mis- 
sionary. She  goes  out  into  the  dives  and  haunts  of 
infamy,  and  taking  these  poor  girls  in  her  motherly 
arms  she  persuades  them  to  leave  the  horrors  of  vice 
and  come  to  the  Anchorage. 

The  Rehoboth  was  a place  where  the  poor  creatures 
— women  of  vice  and  sorrow — could  come  for  an  hour 
or  a day  for  sympathy  and  advice,  for  prayer  and 
hope.  It  was  but  a beginning — an  attempt,  but  it 


28o 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


succeeded,  and  soon  outgrew  its  very  moderate  ac- 
commodations. It  could  shelter  the  girls  during  the 
day,  but  at  night  they  must  return  to  their  old  haunts 
or  be  turned  into  the  streets.  Ere  long  it  was  decided 
that  a Home  was  necessary  and  after  careful  searching 
the  house  at  125  Plymouth  place  was  secured. 

This  Home,  located  as  it  is  in  darkest  Chicago,  in 
the  very  midst  of  villainous  dens,  saloons  and  dance- 
houses,  is  a place  of  shelter  and  protection  where  a 
young  V.  lan  or  girl  can  go  if  she  wishes  to  leave 
the  life  that  has  dragged  her  down.  It  is  a prevent- 
ive and  rescue  work,  — an  “Anchorage”  indeed, 
where  young  girls  who  may  or  may  not  have  taken 
the  first  step  in  vice,  may  have  the  opportunit}’^  for 
sober  second  thought,  and  it  is  their  home  without 
money  and  without  price  until  work  is  provided  for 
them,  or  until  they  are  sent  to  their  parents  or  friends. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Miss  Julia  Ames  of  sainted 
memory,  a lily,  the  emblem  of  purity,  has  alwa3^s 
been  kept  in  the  window  of  the  Anchorage,  and  these 
girls  instinctively  read  the  mute  invitation  to  come  in 
and  lead  a better  life. 

The  committee  to  whose  heroic  efforts  the  Anchor- 
age owes  its  existence  is  composed  of  the  followdng 
well-known  women : Miss  Alice  Bond,  Mrs.  I.  D. 
Evans,  Mrs.  Foreman,  Airs.  C.  C.  Lake,  Mrs.  AI.  W. 
Mabbs,  Mrs.  Allen  Vane,  Airs.  E.  P.  Vail.  The  work 
done  by  these  mother-hearted  w^omen  deserves  a tab- 
let of  brass,  but  better  still  it  is  written  in  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  thousands  of  girls  whom  they  will  meet 
in  heaven,  because  they  helped  them  in  their  hour  of 
need. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  ANCHORAGE,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  28 1 

The  present  Board  is  Miss  Alice  Bond,  Chairman, 
Mrs.  Robert  Greenlee,  Treasurer,  who  gives  most  gen- 
erously both  time  and  money  ; Miss  Kate  Jackson, 
Secretary,  Mrs.  M.  W.  Mabbs  and  Mrs.  E.  P.  Vail. 
A more  faithful,  loving  band  of  women  could  not  be 
found,  and  the  cry  of  distress  always  touches  their 
hearts  to  loving  helpfulness.  Miss  Nettie  Houghton, 
Miss  Celia  Smock  and  Mrs.  Dr.  McChesney  were  most 
helpful  workers  of  the  past.  Miss  Alice  Bond  has 
been  indefatigable  in  soliciting  for  the  Anchorage,  and 
she  has  such  a pleasing  presence  that  large  donations 
are  received.  One  man  said,  “ I’ll  give  you  all  the 
coal  you  want.”  She  said,  ‘‘Thank  you,  we  would 
like  twenty  tons,”  and  he  generously  sent  it. 

During  the  last  year  over  six  hundred  different 
girls  have  been  in  this  Mission  and  over  three  thou- 
sand lodgings  have  been  given.  Very  many  have 
been  restored  to  friends  ; many  have  found  homes 
and  situations  ; five  have  been  well  married ; two 
are  running  a large  laundry  ; one  who  was  going 
to  drown  herself  when  rescued  is  carrying  on  a 
small  fruit  farm  and  often  brings  us  fruit,  butter 
and  eggs ; one  is  keeping  a large  respectable  board- 
ing-house and  has  several  hundred  dollars  saved. 

We  have  not  space  to  mention  the  many  who  that 
are  constantly  writing,  thanking  us  for  the  timely 
aid  and  comfort  given  them  while  at  the  Anchorage, 
or  of  the  many  donations  of  money,  food,  clothing, 
coal,  ice,  etc. , that  have  been  prompted  by  our  kind 
friends.  Kohlsaat,  Chicago’s  most  popular  baker, 
has  supplied  the  Misson  with  bread,  cakes  and  pies 
ever  since  it  started. 


282 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


To  all  our  friends  we  say  a hearty  “ God  bless 
you.” 

It  was  but  natural  that  Miss  Willard,  after  the 
pledge  to  her  of  five  thousand  dollars  from  Mr.  Crit- 
tenton,  for  founding  five  Homes,  should  plead  with 
the  National  Executive  Committee  that  her  precious 
“Anchorage”  should  be  the  recipient  of  one  thou- 
sand dollars.  In  these  efforts  she  was  heartily  sec- 
onded by  Mrs.  Matilda  B.  Carse,  who,  as  President  of 
the  Chicago  Central  Union,  has  indeed  been  godmother 
and  patron  saint  of  the  Anchorage. 

So  this  happy  consummation,  devout^'  to  be 
wished,  came  to  pass,  and  a most  joyful  celebration 
occurred  September  15,  1893,  when  Mr,  Crittenton  for- 
mally dedicated  the  Florence  Crittenton  Anchorage. 
A most  delicious  luncheon  was  served  by  “our 
girls,”  and  afterwards  an  impressive  prayer-meeting 
was  held  in  the  parlors.  Mr.  Crittenton  talked  to 
the  girls  with  the  tenderness  of  a father,  and  pointed 
them  to  the  loving  Saviour,  who  never  spoke  an 
unkind  word  to  a woman,  and  who  honored  the 
repentant  Magdalene  by  sending  her  forth  as  the 
first  evangelist  to  tell  His  disciples  of  His  risen  glor}*. 
As  Mr.  Crittenton  talked  the  tears  streamed  down 
his  face,  and  sobs  could  be  heard  from  the  girls,  so 
deeply  were  they  touched,  and  several  gave  them- 
selves to  Christ  for  life.  Mr.  John  G.  Woolley,  the 
famous  temperance  orator  and  philanthropist,  who 
has  founded  at  Rest  Island,  Minnesota,  a Mission  for 
men,  made  a beautiful  address,  and  testified  to  the 
wondrous  power  of  Christ  to  save  from  drink  and  all 
sin.  Miss  Irene  Fockler,  Associate  Superintendent  of 


FLORENCE  CRITTENFON  MISSIONS.  283 

Press  of  the  World’s  and  National  W.  C.  T.  U.,  was 
there  to  spread  the  report  in  thousands  of  newspapers, 
and  Miss  Anna  Gordon,  private  secretary  of  Miss 
Willard,  represented  our  beloved  chief.  Mrs.  Bliss, 
the  acting  matron  in  the  vacation  of  the  hard-working 
and  much-loved  matron,  Mrs.  Kelley,  was  mistress  of 
ceremonies.  Perhaps  none  was  more  happy  than  the 
author,  for  she  had  hoped,  and  prayed,  and  worked  for 
that  day’s  consummation  for  nearly  three  years,  since 
her  very  first  meeting  with  Mr.  Crittenton,  when  she 
told  him  what  a wonderful  help  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  might 
be  to  him  in  founding  Florence  Crittenton  Missions. 

An  affecting  incident,  which  happened  while  Mr. 
Crittenton  was  speaking,  shows  the  appalling  inroads 
into  homes  which  impurity  is  making,  and  the  great 
need  of  Florence  Crittenton  Missions.  A young 
man  whose  face  bore  traces  of  awful  agony,  ringing 
the  bell  excitedly,  asked  the  matron  for  his  sister, 
whom  he  described,  saying,  “Oh,  she  is  lost  in  this 
wicked  city,  and  I have  been  in  over  fifty  houses  of 
infamy  and  I cannot  find  her.  Oh,  for  God’s  sake 
help  me  find  her.’’  Only  the  workers  among  these 
dear  girls  know  how  many  thousands  of  their  ago- 
nized friends  are  saying,  “Our  darling  is  lost  in 
shame, — for  God’s  sake  help  us  find  her.’’  We  are 
helping  just  as  much  as  we  can,  but  oh  ! we  could 
save  so  many  more  if  all  Christians  and  generous- 
hearted  ones  would  only  add  a little  to  our  funds. 

Mr.  George  Bidwell,  author  of  “ Forging  his  Own 
Chains,’’  and  his  noble  sister  Mrs.  Mott,  have  most 
kindly  offered  the  use  of  twenty-seven  acres  of  ground 
and  a house  of  nine  rooms  at  Muskegon  Heights, 


284 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRES. 


Mich.,  for  a country  home  for  the  girls  from  the  Flor- 
ence Crittenton  Anchorage.  Who  will  be  the  next  to 
give  for  this  noble  benevolence  ? 

The  work  done  at  the  Florence  Crittenton  An- 
chorage speaks  for  itself,  it  rescues  fallen  women  and 
helps  friendless  girls,  it  cares  for  young  mothers  and 
their  babes,  but  it  cannot  do  this  without  money  or 
means,  and  we,  therefore,  appeal  to  you,  kind  friends, 
for  good,  solid,  substantial  help.  We  need  it,  and  we 
need  it  now.  The  Anchorage  appeals  to  you  with 
earnest  confidence.  “ Help  your  fallen  sister  rise, 
while  the  days  are  going  by.” 

NORFOLK,  VIRGINIA. 

Is  the  baby  of  our  family  of  Missions,  and  we  are 
most  proud  of  this  lusty  infant,  who,  when  the  next 
edition  of  ‘‘  The  Traffic  in  Girls  and  Florence  Critten- 
ton Missions”  is  issued,  will  have  a splendid  record 
of  work  achieved. 

Mrs.  R.  A.  Jones,  the  consecrated  president  of  the 
Virginia  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  gives 
a brief  report  which  after  all  is  worth  many  a world, 
for  precious  souls  have  been  saved.  Mr.  D.  I.  Collins 
originated  the  Mission  nobl}^  and  liberally,  spending 
his  money  to  that  end.  It  was  christened  the  Home 
for  the  Friendless,  and  Mrs.  Jones  writes  : 

“I  am  glad  to  tell  you  of  the  good  work  done 
by  our  Mission.  We  rented  a house  last  March,  and 
during  that  time  have  sheltered  twentj’'-six  girls 
there.  Two  of  these  were  young  women  with  little 
babes  in  their  arms,  who  would  have  gone  to  the  bad 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  285 

but  for  our  sheltering  home.  One  girl  ran  away  from 
a house  of  ill-fame  and  came  to  us.  Several  were 
converted  at  the  city  Missions  and  then  came  to  us. 
One  was  sent  to  us  in  almost  a dying  condition.  We 
had  her  cared  for  until  she  died,  when  we  buried  her 
at  the  expense  of  our  W.  C.  T.  U.  Another  was 
suffering  from  internal  ailment ; we  had  her  oper- 
ated on  by  a physician,  and  nursed  her  till  she  was 
well.  Six  have  gone  out  to  good  respectable  homes 
and  are  doing  well.  We  have  now  six  girls  here, 
three  of  whom  have  been  seduced  and  will  have 
infants  in  a short  time.  We  have  sent  one  infant  to  a 
foundlings  home,  and  will  send  these. 

With  its  new  name  and  added  as  a link  to  the 
National  chain  of  Florence  Crittenton  Missions,  no 
doubt  thousands  of  precious  souls  will  be  won  for 
Christ. 


“who’ll  be  the  next?” 

What  other  Christian  workers  to  whom,  as  a 
steward,  God  has  committed  wealth,  will  consecrate 
it  to  uplifting  fallen  brothers  and  sisters  ? How  much 
money  Mr.  Crittenton  is  investing  in  Heaven’s  jewels  ! 
How  his  crown  will  sparkle  with  the  flashing  stars — 
brighter  than  any  diamonds — of  redeemed  souls  ! ket 
us  all  invest  in  heavenly  jewels. 


Memeiial  J^orccs  ratid)  iuill 
a\j3a8  Eraffiic  in  (Sirlsi. 

ERHAPS  the  greatest  remedial  forces 
in  the  rescue  of  our  girls  is  the 
World’s  Woman’s  Christian  Temper- 
ance Union,  and  the  church  of  Christ. 
The  W.  C.  T.  U.  organized  around 
the  globe  by  Mary  Clement  Leavitt,  that 
splendid  pioneer,  with  its  forty  departments 
of  work,  is  doing  much  toward  ushering  in 
the  millennium.  The  Evangelistic  work  headed  by 
Hannah  Whitall  Smith  and  Elizabeth  Greenwood,  and 
the  Evangelists,  Mrs.  J.  K.  Barney,  Mrs.  S.  M.  I. 
Henry,  Mrs.  Annie  M.  Palmer,  Mrs.  Mary  Sparkes 
Wheeler,  Miss  E.  S.  Tobej^,  Mrs.  Harriet  D.  Walker, 
Mrs.  Mollie  McGee  Snell,  Mrs.  R.  J.  Trego,  Mrs. 
Mary  J.  Weaver  and  Mrs.  M.  E.  Haughton,  is  the 
corner-stone  of  our  Temple.  The  Lo3ml  Temperance 
Legions  led  by  Anna  Gordon  and  Helen  G.  Rice, 
Ellen  A.  Blair  and  Maude  L.  Greene,  are  pledged 
against  liquor,  tobacco  and  impurity.  Mary  H.  Hunt 
has  secured  Scientific  Temperance  Instruction  in  forty 
states  where  the  law  requires  that  children  in  the 
public  schools  be  taught  the  evil  effects  of  liquor,  to- 
bacco and  opium.  Keep  our  children  pure  and  total 
abstainers,  and  this  awful  social  evil  will  disappear. 
Lucia  E.  F.  Kimball  is  doing  the  same  grand  work  by 

286 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  287 

International  Temperance  lessons  in  the  Sunday- 
schools.  The  Demorest  medal  contests  are  sweeping 
temperance  into  thousands  of  homes  through  the 
children,  and  William  Jennings  Demorest  and  his  wife 
Madame  Demorest  will  go  down  in  history  as  philan- 
thropists. 

Our  Peace  department  under  the  energetic  super- 
vision of  Mrs.  Hannah  J.  Bailey,  Amanda  Deyo  and 
Emilie  U.  Burgess  is  making  a public  sentiment  that 
will  hurl  war  among  the  other  barbarities  out  into 
oblivion.  Social  purity  reformers  well  know  that  the 
standing  armies  are  the  very  hot-beds  of  prostitu- 
tion, and  the  infamous  Contagious  Disease  Acts  were 
enacted  by  Napoleon  III  to  let  his  soldiers  give  license 
to  their  passions  and  yet  not  suffer  the  just  penalty  of 
the  diseases  of  the  libertine.  And  so  the  awful  spec- 
tacle is  still  seen  in  Europe  of  girls  going  to  the  hos- 
pitals to  be  examined  as  to  their  freedom  from 
disease,  so  these  men  may  be  protected.  Are  men  so 
examined  that  girls  may  be  protected  ? Oh,  no,  their 
lives  and  health  are  of  no  consequence. 

The  W.  C.  T.  U.  believe  that  woman’s  ballot  will 
exterminate  the  liquor  traffic  and  therefore  the  social 
evil.  It  is  a significant  fact  that  in  the  only  two 
states  where  women  have  full  suffrage,  Wyoming  and 
Kansas,  there  the  “ age  of  consent  ” is  eighteen  years, 
the  same  as  that  for  legal  marriage.  Dr.  Louise  Pur- 
ington  and  Alice  Stone  Blackwell  push  the  work 
energetically  with  Mrs.  S.  S.  Fessenden,  Mrs.  Clara 
Hoffman  and  Mary  T.  Lathrap  as  eloquent  lecturers. 
Susan  B.  Anthony,  Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton,  Lucy 
Stone  of  The  Woman' s Journal  and  Clara  Bewick 


288 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRFS. 


Colby,  Woman’s  Tribune,  and  the  hosts  of  suffrag- 
ists led  by  Lady  Aberdeen,  May  Wright  Sewall 
and  Rachel  Foster  Avery,  Laura  Ormiston  Chant, 
Florence  Fenwick  Miller,  Madame  Bogelot,  in  the 
Woman’s  Council,  are  revolutionizing  the  world  by 
the  changed  position  of  women. 

Mrs.  Josephine  Butler,  Superintendent  Purity 
World’s  W.  C.  T.  U.,  and  Dr.  Mary  Wood  Allen  and 
Lydia  Prescott,  Mrs.  Dr.  J.  H.  Kellogg,  Mrs.  Louise 
S.  Rounds,  Miss  Frances  Willard,  Mrs.  Frank  Stuart 
Parker  and  Mrs.  Ada  M.  Bittenbender  of  the  Ameri- 
can W.  C.  T.  U.  are  making  purity  thought  popular. 
Mrs.  Emilie  D.  Martin,  Superintendent  of  Purity  in 
Literature  and  Art  is  helping  to  destroy  obscene 
books  and  pictures. 

Mrs.  L.  M.  N.  Stevens,  National  Recording  Secre- 
tary, secured  the  appointment  of  the  first  Police 
Matron  and  now  in  many  cities  of  the  Union  these 
mother-hearted  matrons  save  the  girls.  Mrs.  Marga- 
ret Watts  is  National  Superintendent.  Then  listen 
to  these  departments,  all  having  an  influence  in  shap- 
ing public  sentiment  for  temperance  and  purit}'. 
Young  Woman’s  Christian  Temperance  Union,  forty 
thousand  strong,  marshaled  by  Mrs.  Frances  J. 
Barnes.  These  girls  insist  on  the  white  life  for  men 
as  well  as  women.  School  Savings  Banks,  Mrs.  S.  L. 
Oberholtzer ; Mercy,  Mrs.  Mary  F.  Lovell ; Health, 
and  Heredity,  Dr.  Annette  Shaw  ; Sanitary  Cooking, 
Mrs.  Ole  Bull ; Physical  Culture,  Frances  W. 
Leiter ; Work  among  Foreigners,  Superintendent, 
Mrs.  Sophia  F.  Grubb  ; Secretar}”-,  Mrs.  S.  A. 
Brown  ; Associates : Scandinavian,  Mrs.  M.  H. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


289 


Ostergren  ; Dutch,  Mrs.  M.  S.  Van  Olinda  ; Spanish, 
Mrs.  E.  J.  Harwood  ; Chinese,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Carey  ; 
Poles,  Mrs.  Col.  Sobieski.  Missionary  at  Ellis  Island, 
Miss  Anna  Eindabl.  Policemen,  Miss  Catherine  Gur- 
ney, London.  Presenting  our  Cause  to  influential 
bodies,  The  General  Officers ; Miss  Willard,  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Woodbridge,  Mrs.  L.  M.  N.  Stevens  and 
Mrs.  Helen  M.  Barker.  Capital  and  Labor,  Mrs.  S. 
E.  V.  Emery.  Press,  Miss  Lodi  E.  Reed,  National ; 
Charlton  Edholm,  World’s  ; Miss  Irene  Fodder,  As- 
sociate World’s  and  National.  Narcotics,  Tobacco 
and  Opium,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Ingalls,  Mrs  Helen  L.  Bul- 
lock, Mrs.  M.  E.  A.  Gleason  and  Mrs.  Narcissa  White 
Kinney  ; School  of  Methods  and  Parliamentary  Usage, 
Mrs.  A.  S.  Benjamin  ; Prisons,  Mrs.  J.  K.  Barney, 
Mrs.  Jane  M.  Kinney  ; Almshouses,  Mrs.  S.  A.  Mor- 
rison ; Securing  Homes  for  Homeless  Children,  Mrs. 
Margaret  T.  W.  Merrill ; Flower  Mission,  Mrs.  Ger- 
trude Ferguson  ; R.  R.  Employes,  Mrs.  Caroline  M. 
Woodward,  Miss  Jennie  E.  Smith ; Soldiers  and 
Sailors,  Miss  Agnes  Weston,  England,  Mrs.  S.  A. 
McClees,  Mrs.  Mary  Grant  Cramer  (a  sister  of  General 
Grant),  and  Mrs.  Cornelia  Chauvet,  America  ; Lumber- 
men, Mrs.  Mary  C.  Upham  ; Miners,  Mrs.  Winnie  F. 
English ; Temperance  Literature,  Mrs.  K.  L.  Stevenson; 
Sabbath  Observance,  Mrs.  Josephine  C.  Bateham  ; Un- 
fermented Wine  at  Sacrament,  Mrs.  E.  G.  Hibben  ; 
Parlor  Meetings,  Mrs.  Bowden,  England,  Mrs.  Mary 
D.  Tomlinspn,  America ; Fairs,  Mrs.  Josephine 
R.  Nichols,  Madame  Demorest  and  Mrs.  Clara  B. 
Weaver  ; Legislation,  Gwenlian  E.  F.  Morgan,  En- 
gland, Mrs.  Judge  Bilford ; Proportionate  Giving, 


2go 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Mrs.  Esther  T.  Pritchard,  Railroad  Rates,  Mary  G. 
Play ; National  Temperance  Hospital,  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Hobbs ; Overflow  Meetings,  Rev.  Anna  H.  Shaw ; 
World’s  Archives,  Helen  E.  Hood,  London,  England. 

Among  the  many  enterprises  none  has  given  the 
W.  C.  T.  U.  such  a commercial  standing  as  the  mag- 
nificent Temple  in  Chicago,  founded  by  that  Necker 
of  finance,  Mrs.  Matilda  B.  Carse.  The  building  cost 
one  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
The  rent  roll,  when  all  ofl&ces  are  occupied,  will 
amount  to  two  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars 
annually.  The  rentals  are  now  one  hundred  and 
seventy  thousand  dollars,  which  gives  a large  surplus 
above  expenses.  When  the  building  is  filled  the 
rentals  alone  will  pay  for  it  in  a few  3'ears  and  then  the 
society  will  have  the  splendid  income  to  be  used 
in  pushing  the  forty  lines  of  work  against  the  liquor 
traffic.  The  financial  plan  has  been  approved  bj^  such 
thorough  business  men  as  George  M.  Pullman,  P.  D. 
Armour,  and  Thomas  B.  Br\’au — Vice  President  of 
the  Columbian  Exposition.  The  press,  the  pulpit, 
and  our  great  leaders  aid  it  in  every  wajL  All  wish- 
ing to  help  this  work,  or  any  other,  can  send  contri- 
butions to  the  World’s  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Ella  F.  M. 
Williams,  26  Chomedy  street,  Montreal,  Canada.  In 
Willard  Hall  is  the  largest  noon  prayer-meeting  in 
the  world,  under  management  of  Mrs.  Dais\^  H. 
Carlock,  secretarjq  Chicago  Central  Union  ; the  most 
eloquent  speakers  and  leaders  address  it. 

Another  stupendous  enterprise  is  the  Woman’s 
Temperance  Publishing  Association  of  Chicago,  of 
which  Mrs.  Matilda  B.  Carse  is  the  founder  and  presi- 
dent, and  Mrs.  C.  F.  Grow  is  the  able  manager. 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


291 


The  Association  does  an  annual  business  of  two  hun- 
dred and  twent5'-five  thousand  dollars,  doing  a vast 
deal  of  book  publishing  for  churches  of  all  denom- 
inations who  thus  help  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  It  also 
publishes  The  Lhiioii  Signal  and  World' s White  Rib- 
bon, official  organ,  a large  sixteen-page  paper,  with 
its  subscription  list  of  eighty-four  thousand,  thus 
reaching  over  four  hundred  thousand  people  every 
week.  Its  editors  are  Frances  E.  Willard,  Lady 
Henry  Somerset,  Margaret  A.  Sudduth,  Harriet  B. 
Kells.  Two  of  its  editors,  Mary  Allen  West  and 
Julia  A.  Ames  have  heard  the  message,  “Come  up 
higher.”  The  W.  T.  P.  A.  also  publishes  the  famous 
literary  magazine  Otir  Day,  edited  by  Joseph  Cook, 
the  Oak  and  Ivy  Leaf,  edited  by  Jennie  A.  Stewart, 
The  Young  Crusader  20x6.  The  Adva7ice  Guard,  hy  Ada 
M.  Melville.  Katherine  Lente  Stevenson  is  editor  of 
books  and  publications.  *It  two  hundred  a7id 

thirty  ^nillion  pages  of  temperance  literature  annually. 

The  printed  page  and  human  speech  are  the  two 
great  means  of  suecess,  and  over  all  the  land  are  heard 
the  eloquent  organizers  : Mrs.  L-  H.  Washington, 
Miss  Frances  E.  Griffin,  Mrs.  Helen  L.  Bullock, 
Mrs.  Mary  Bynon  Reese,  Mrs.  Emily  Pitt  Stevens, 
Miss  Ida  Clothier,  Miss  Belle  Kearney,  Mrs.  Dell  H. 
Cox,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Blair,  Mrs.  Maude  L-  Green,  Mrs.  E. 
Norinne  Law,  Mrs.  Frances  E.  W.  Harper,  Mrs.  Hen- 
rietta Skelton,  Mrs.  Ellen  Kinney  Denny,  Mrs.  M.  L. 
Wells,  Miss  Clara  Parrish.  And  this  splendid  list  of 
Wells,  Miss  Clara  Parrish,  Mrs.  F.  E.  W.  Harper, 
Frances  Ensign,  Carrie  Lee  Carter,  and  E.  A. 
Kenyon.  And  this  splendid  list  of  State  Presi- 


292 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


dents,  the  very  backbone  of  our  organization : 
Mrs.  Mattie  L.  Spencer,  Alabama;  Mrs.  John  G. 
Brady,  Alaska  ; Mrs.  L,.  G.  Hughes,  Arizona  ; Mrs. 
Sara  B.  Hart,  Arkansas;  Mrs.  B.  Sturtevant  Peet, 
California;  Mrs.  M.  K.  Garbutt,  South  California; 
Mrs.  Mary  C.  Woody,  North  Carolina ; Mrs.  M.  J. 
O’Connell,  North  Carolina  (No.  2);  Mrs.  Sallie  F. 
Chapin,  South  Carolina ; Mrs.  Eva  Higgins,  Colora- 
do ; Mrs.  S.  B.  Forbes,  Connecticut  ; Mrs.  J.  H.  Pres- 
ton, North  Dakota ; Mrs.  E.  Cranmer,  South  Da- 
kota ; Miss  Margaret  S.  Hilles,  Delaware ; Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Griffith,  District  of  Columbia  ; Mrs.  E.  A. 
Hill,  Florida ; Mrs.  W.  C.  Sibley,  Georgia ; Mrs. 
R.  Mitchell,  Idaho ; Mrs.  Eouise  S.  Rounds,  Ill- 
inois ; Mrs.  Lena  Beck,  Indiana  ; Mrs.  Jane  Stapler, 
Indian  Territory ; Mrs.  M.  H.  Dunham,  Iowa  ; 
Mrs.  L.  B.  Smith,  Kansas ; Nannie  Munnell,  Ken- 
tucky ; Mrs.  Mary  R.  GoodMe,  Louisiana ; Mrs.  L- 
M.  N.  Stevens,  Maine ; Mrs.  J.  S.  Baldwin,  Mar}- 
land  ; Mrs.  Susan  S.  Fessenden,  Massachusetts  ; Mrs. 
Mary  T.  Lathrap,  Michigan ; Mrs.  H.  A.  Hobart, 
Minnesota  ; Mrs.  Clara  C.  Hoffman,  Missouri  ; Mrs. 

L.  S.  Mount,  Mississippi  ; Mrs.  Mary.  S.  Cummins, 
Montana ; Mrs.  M.  A.  Hitchcock,  Nebraska ; Mrs. 
Clara  Ward,  Nevada ; Mrs.  C.  R.  Wendell,  New 
Hampshire  ; Mrs.  Emma  Bourne,  New  Jersey ; Mrs. 

M.  J.  Borden,  New  Mexico ; Mrs.  Mary  T.  Burt, 
New  York  ; Mrs.  Henrietta  L.  Monroe,  Ohio  ; Mrs. 
Henry  Sheplor,  Oklahoma ; Mrs.  A.  R.  Riggs, 
Oregon  ; Mrs.  Anna  M.  Hammer,  Pennsylvania  ; 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Babcock,  Rhode  Island  ; Mrs.  Lide 
Meriwether,  Tennessee  ; Mrs.  Helen  M.  Stoddard, 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  293 

Texas ; Mrs.  Caroline  H.  Reed,  Utah  ; Mrs.  Ida  H. 
Read,  Vermont ; Mrs.  R.  H.  Jones,  Virginia  ; Mrs. 
Jennie  P.  Sisson,  West  Virginia  ; Mrs.  Julia  B.  Cole, 
East  Washington  ; M.  A.  Shaffer,  West  Washington  ; 
Mrs.  Vie  H.  Campbell,  Wisconsin  ; Mrs.  Wilhemina 
Brown,  Wyoming.  Mary  Sparkes  Wheeler,  Phoenix- 
ville,  Pa.,  raises  the  sinews  of  war  for  the  World’s 
Temperance  Mission  work. 

Closely  allied  with  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  is  The  National 
Purity  League  led  by  Mrs.  K.  B.  Grannis  and  M. 
Louise  Thomas,  with  its  organ,  Church  U7iio7i,  edited 
by  Mrs.  Grannis  ; the  King’s  Daughters,  officered 
by  Margaret  Bottome,  Mary  Lowe  Dickinson,  Isa- 
bella Charles  Davis,  and  Helen  Barker  ; the  Christian 
Endeavor,  organized  by  Dr.  Francis  E.  Clarke,  giving 
us  a consecrated  youth ; the  Order  of  Deaconesses, 
these  good  Samaritans,  with  Lucy  Rider  Meyer  and 
Mrs.  Bainbridge,  as  their  consecrated  leaders,  and 
the  renowned  Moody  Bible  Institutes  at  Northfield, 
Mass.,  and  Chicago,  111.,  sending  out  thousands  of 
workers. 

Also  the  Industrial  School  for  girls  like  that  of  Illi- 
nois, under  direction  of  Mrs.  Louise  Wardner  and  Mrs. 
Wallace  ; and  all  who  open  up  new  avenues  of  work 
for  women  as  Mrs.  Juana  Neal,  the  first  woman  suc- 
cessful in  life  insurance,  and  she  placing  hundreds  of 
others  in  the  field  as  agents.  It  is  the  common  plea 
of  the  girls  in  the  life,  “ / can' t escape,  for  I know  no 
way  to  earn  a living."  Every  girl  ought  to  have  a 
self-sjipporting  trade,  and  every  new  occupation  opened 


294  '•'he;  traffic  in  girls. 

up  relieves  the  overcrowded  numbers  in  other 
branches  and  wages  rise  from  the  miserable  pittance 
of  four  dollars  per  week,  which  starves  thousands  of 
girls  into  prostitution.  Miss  Grace  Dodge,  the 
wealthy  New  York  woman — whose  father  was  for 
years  President  of  the  National  Temperance  Society 
and  whose  brother  is  President  of  the  Evangelical 
Alliance,  those  giant  forces  for  “Christianity  ap- 
plied’’— is  doing  splendid  work  in  aiding  working- 
girls  in  affairs  temporal  and  spiritual.  But  the  labor 
problem  will  only  be  solved  when  the  Golden  Rule  is 
applied  to  employes,  and  capitalists  do  as  Mr.  Critten- 
ton  has  done,  reward  faithful  workers  with  a partner- 
ship interest  in  the  business,  and  mistresses  treat 
servants  as  they  would  wish  their  own  daughters 
treated. 

Through  the  World’s  Woman’s  Christian  Tem- 
perance Union  it  is  hoped  Mr.  Crittenton  may  found 
Florence  Crittenton  Missions  around  the  globe.  En- 
gland has  known  his  benefactions,  for  among  a pile  of 
letters  we  came  across  the  receipt  of  General  Booth, 
of  the  Salvation  Army,  for  one  thousand  dollars  for 
the  Florence  Hospital,  London.  Mr.  Crittenton  is 
deeply  in  sympathy  with  the  Salvation  Army  and 
he  realizes  the  wondrous  force  it  is  in  evangelizing 
the  world.  Commander  and  Maud  Ballington 
Booth,  Mrs.  Bramwell  Booth,  Catherine  Booth- 
Tucker  and  the  other  officers  with  their  grand  sol- 
diery, have  opened  rescue  homes  for  girls  nearly  all 
over  the  world,  and  only  God  knows  the  extent  of 
their  beneficent  endeavor.  Our  own  patrons  of  the 
San  Francisco  Florence  Crittenton  Home,  Mr.  George 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS. 


295 


S.  and  Carrie  Judd  Montg^omery,  through  whom  Mr. 
Crittenton  took  Christ  as  his  healer,  are  also  soldiers  in 
the  Salvation  Army  and  they  gave  the  site  for  the 
Rescue  Home  at  Beulah,  Oakland,  California. 

No  doubt  t&e  British  W.  C.  T.  U.,  of  which  Rady 
Henry  Somerset  is  President,  will  cooperate  with  Mr. 
Crittenton  in  the  Mission  work.  Lady  Henry’s  heart 
is  deeply  stirred  for  social  purity  work  and  she  often 
relates  on  the  platform  the  pathetic  story  of  a poor 
dishonored  girl  whose  body  was  found  in  the  Thames 
and  upon  her  breast  a note,  “Darling  Mother: — 
Drink  brought  me  to  shame,  and  shame  brought  me 
to  the  river.’’ 

As  a means  of  identification,  the  note  was  pub- 
lished in  the  London  dailies  and  three  hundred  and 
twenty-four  mothers  came  to  the  morgue  to  see  if  the 
lost  girl  was  their  daughter.  Then  her  plea  for  the 
rescue  of  these  precious  girls  fairly  electrifies  her 
audience.  Her  talks  on  the  White  Cross  movement 
organized  by  the  Bishop  of  Durham  which  ought  to 
sweep  the  world,  pledging  men  to  personal  purity,  are 
wonderfully  blessed  of  God,  and  her  work  in  the 
slums  shows  her  to  be  a noble  woman,  indeed,  and  no 
poor  girl  is  too  low  to  be  beneath  her  notice,  or  too 
defiled  for  the  soft,  white  hand  to  caressingly  touch, 
while  her  wealth  is  literally  poured  out  for  the  good 
of  humanity. 

Mrs.  Josephine  Butler,  Superintendent  of  Social 
Purity  of  the  World’s  W.  C.  T.  U.,  who  like  Mr. 
Crittenton  was  brought  into  the  work  through  the  loss 
of  a beloved  daughter,  is  a woman  who  has  stood  mob 
violence  for  the  sake  of  rescuing  these  “ mothers’ 


296  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 

girls,”  and  has  done  wonders  in  helping  to  abolish 
the  infamous  Contagious  Disease  Acts.  Dr.  Bush- 
nell  and  Elizabeth  Wheeler  Andrew,  the  Third  and 
Fourth  Round- the-World  Missionaries  of  the 
World’s  W.  C.  T.  U.  have  done  the  same  great  work 
for  India.  Miss  Ellice  Hopkins,  another  who  has 
been  tried  by  fire,  having  lost  a chivalrous  lover, 
has  given  herself  and  writings  to  the  White  Cross 
movement,  especially  pleading  with  jmung  men  to 
keep  themselves  pure,  and  to  protect  everj^  girl  as 
though  she  were  a sister.  No  man  could  read  her 
wonderful  booklets  without  longing  to  be  perfectly 
pure.  Rev.  John  McNeil,  the  great  temperance 
preacher  of  England,  and  Evangelist  Henry  Varley, 
whom  Mrs.  Stephen  Matthews,  National  Organizer 
B.  W.  T.  A.,  pronounces  the  pioneer  in  talks  ‘‘to 
men  only,”  the  ones  who  ought  to  be  lectured  until, 
as  Evangelist  Sam  Jones  says,  ‘‘they  quit  their 
meanness,”  have  done  Herculean  work  in  creating 
the  sentiment  for  social  purity,  which  must  be  making 
headway  when  Madamoiselle  Nikita,  the  famous 
prima-donna,  a protig e oi  Wm.  J.  and  Madame  Dem- 
orest,  gives  as  one  of  her  special  selections,  ‘‘The 
Soul’s  Awakening,”  the  stor}’  of  the  redemption  of 
an  erring  girl,  and  in  one  or  two  plays  the  rescue  of 
erring  girls  through  Florence  Missions  is  delineated, 
amid  the  rapturous  applause  of  thousands  of  theater- 
goers ; also  when  gifted  singers  and  elocutionists,  as 
Mrs.  Sylvia  Chapman  Martin,  give  recitals  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Florence  Crittenton  Homes. 

Nor  are  our  dusky  sisters  forgotten,  and  in  San 
Francisco  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  girls  sold  to 
brothel-keepers  are  rescued  by  the  Presbyterian  Occi- 
dental Board  of  which  Mrs.  Mary  Frank  Browne  is  ' 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  297 

President  and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Pinney,  Secretary,  whicli 
supports  a Home  under  charge  of  Miss  Culbertson. 
The  Methodists  also  have  a Home  under  charge  of 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  F.  J.  Masters.  The  cause  of  these 
dear  girls  is  also  well  pleaded  by  Mrs.  Nellie  Blessing 
Eyster,  author  of  the  “ Bright  Side  of  Chinese  Rife.” 

Miss  Jessie  Ackermann,  the  consecrated  President 
of  the  Australasia  W.  C.  T.  U.,  is  beseeching  Mr. 
Crittenton  to  come  to  Australia  and  found  Missions, 
which  he  hopes  to  do,  and  thus  the  blessed  work 
goes  on. 

Next  to  the  church  of  God,  which  is  the  greatest 
remedial  force  in  the  world,  especially  when  it  is 
awakened  by  such  ministers  as  T.  De  Witt  Talmage 
and  Dr.  Charles  H.  Parkhurst,  visiting  the  haunts  of 
shame,  and  telling  of  the  atrocities  committed,  we  be- 
lieve in  the  Prohibition  party — the  only  party  having 
a woman,  Mrs.  Helen  M.  Gougar,  on  its  Executive 
Committee — which  will  outlaw  the  liquor  traffic  and 
therefore  the  traffic  in  girls  will  cease.  We  are  glad 
that  every  four  years  a Gideon’s  Band  of  over  two  hun- 
dred thousand  Christian  men  vote  as  well  as  pray 
“for  the  Kingdom  of  God  to  come.  “ James  Black, 
Neal  Dow,  St.  John  and  Daniels,  Fisk  and  Brooks, 
and  Bidwell  and  Cranfill,  representing  the  party  that 
never  casts  a vote  for  the  saloons,  are  the  brave  expo- 
nents of  “ the  good  time  coming  ’’  when  such  a thing 
as  a legal  saloon  shall  be  as  impossible  as  a legal 
slave. 

Col.  John  Sobieski  in  his  letter  of  acceptance  as 
nominee  for  Governor  of  Missouri  well  writes  ; ‘ ‘ The 

liquor  power  is  not  only  the  power  behind  the  throne. 


298 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRTS. 


but  it  is  the  throne  itself.  The  two  distinguished 
gentlemen  who  are  candidates  against  me,  while  they 
were  soldiers  in  the  late  civil  war,  and  while  they  can 
have  no  natural  sympathy  with  the  saloon,  yet  they 
would  not  dare  say  one  word  against  this  corrupting 
and  murderous  traffic.  ” 

Surely,  as  A.  G.  Wolfenbarger  truly  says,  “ if  sixty 
million  people  cannot  put  to  rout  two  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  saloonkeepers,  we  had  better  confess 
our  Republic  a failure  and  go  back  to  monarchy.  Or 
as  George  W.  Bain  eloquently  says,  “If  you  men 
will  not  banish  the  saloon,  for  God’s  sake  give  women 
the  ballot  and  let  them  save  their  darling  children.” 

It  is  one  of  the  proudest  recollections  of  Evangelist 
Crittenton’s  life  that  he  had  the  honor  of  being  the 
nominee  of  the  Prohibition  party  for  Mayor  of  New 
York.  For  this  good  time  of  Prohibition  the  Good 
Templars,  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  Oronj^teka,  the 
Sons  of  Temperance  marshaled  by  Sir  Leonard  Tilly, 
the  National  Temperance  Society,  A.  G.  Lawson, 
President,  and  J.  N.  Stearns,  Secretary  and  Manager 
of  their  immense  publishing  house,  are  -vVorking 
nobly. 

When  will  this  good  time  of  prohibition  come? 
When  Christian  men  vote  as  they  pray,  vote  for  God 
and  trust  results  to  Him,  then  will  they  find  fulfilled 
the  words  of  Christ,  “ Great  is  thy  faith.  Be  it  unto 
thee  even  as  thou  wilt,  ” for  the  four  million  votes 
would  outlaw  the  saloon  and  bring  victory  in  one 
election.  Oh,  Christian  men  ! do  5mu  not  remember 
the  word,  “Curse  ye  Meroz,  said  the  angel  of  the 
Lord,  curse  ye  bitterly  the  inhabitants  thereof ; because 


PLORENCK  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  299 

they  came  not  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the  help  of 
the  Lord  against  the  mighty."  Surely  that  same  word 
must  come  to  the  church  members  to-day.  Cursed, 
not  for  what  they  do,  but  for  what  they  do  not  do. 
Because  ill  failing  to  vote  against  the  saloon,  they  are 
responsible  for  the  crime  and  vice  and  hordes  of  shame- 
less men  and  women  which  the  saloon  makes.  They 
are  responsible  for  the  widowed  wives  and  beggared 
heart-broken  children. 

Oh  dear  brother  ! arouse  from  your  strauge  leth- 
argy and  in  answer  to  the  tender  question  of  Solomon, 
“ What  shall  we  do  for  our  little  sisters  ?”  sweep  this 
infernal  liquor  traffic  from  our  land  and  the  traffic  in 
girls  will  cease,  and  Florence  Crittenton  Missions  will 
not  be  needed. 

Oh,  brothers ! brothers ! you  who  have  named 
the  sacred  name  of  Christ,  listen  to  the  wail  of  a 
million  heart-broken  drunkards’  wives  and  many 
million  innocent  little  ones,  orphaned  and  beggared 
because  vote  to  legalize  the  saloon,  “ Lord,  how 
long  shall  the  wicked,  how  long  shall  the  wicked 
triumph  ? . They  break  in  pieces  thy  peo- 

ple, O Lord,  and  afflict  thine  heritage  ; they  slay  the 
widow  and  the  stranger  and  murder  the  fatherless.” 

These  millions  turn  with  imploring  outstretched 
hands  and  tear-stained  eyes,  and  on  bended  knees  cry 
to  the  church  of  Christ,  the  representative  of  the 
precious  Saviour  who  is  ‘ ‘ not  willing  that  any  should 
perish”  as  their  only  hope  in  their  hopelessness, 
their  only  help  in  their  helplessness  before  the  saloon, 
and  moan  out  ‘ ‘ Who  will  rise  up  for  me  against  evil- 
doers ? or  who  will  stand  up  for  me  against  the  work- 


300 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


ers  of  iniquity?”  And  can  you  in  answer  to  that 
pleading  cry  in  the  name  of  your  Christ  not  only  not 
‘‘rise  up  against  the  evil-doers  ” the  saloon-keepers, 
but  actually  go  into  partnership  with  them  by  your 
votes  and  legalize  them  in  making  more  widows  and 
fatherless  as  fast  as  their  hellish  alcohol  can  do  so  ? 
Surely  the  curse  Jehovah  pronounces  on  those  who 
“ oppress  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  ” shall  fall  on 
those  who  legalize  the  saloon.  The  finest  definition 
of  religion  in  the  whole  Bible  is  : ‘‘  Pure  religion  and 

undefiled  is  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  the  widows  in 
their  affliction  and  keep  one’s  self  unspotted  from  the 
world.”  But  the  man  who  votes  for  the  saloon  votes 
to  make  thousands  of  happ}’^  wives  into  the  most  to  be 
pitied  of  all  widows,  the  drunkard’s  wife.  He  votes 
to  make  fatherless  thousands  of  little  children  who 
never  did  him  any  harm.  He  sells  these,  Christ’s 
little  ones,  to  the  saloon-keeper  for  a golden  bribe, 
and,  therefore,  like  Judas,  sells  his  Lord.  What  if  the 
bribe  be  high-license  instead  of  low  license  ? Would 
Judas’  crime  have  been  le.ss  detestable  had  he 
gotten  three  hundred  instead  of  thirt}"  pieces  of  silver  ? 
Oh,  dear  brothers  ! do  not  again  sell  your  Lord,  and 
crucify  Him  afresh  in  the  persons  of  these  precious 
brothers  and  sisters  for  He  has  said,  “ Inasmuch  as 
ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  have 
done  it  unto  me.” 


Neto  ilorfe  ^Florence  (ttrittenton  Jiflisision. 

RKPORT  FOR  TEN  YEARS,  FROM  APRIE  I9,  1 883,  TO  APRIE  I9, 

1893- 

Number  admitted 2,439 

Denomination. 

Protestant 1.254 

Catholic 859 

Israelite 23 

Quaker 2 

Unknown 301 

Nationality. 

American 1.093 

Ireland 59i 

England 266 

Germany 126 

Scotland 89 

Italy 3 

West  Indies i 

Canada 3^ 

Denmark 6 

France 1 7 

Norway 4 

Hungary 3 

Holland i 

Wales 9 

Austria • • 1 

India 2 

Isle  of  Jersey i 

Sweden  17 

Switzerland 4 

South  America i 

Nova  Scotia 2 

Spain 1 

Unknown 170 

Disposed  of  as  follows  \ 

Sent  to  Situations 879 

“ Friends 303 

“ Hospitals 16 1 

“ Institutions 409 

Left  of  own  accord 672 

Dismissed  for  misconduct ....  n 

301 


302 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Condilions  of  Life. 

Widow  when  came  to  Mission 

Married  but  separated 

Fathers  living 

Mothers  “ 

Fathers  dead 

Mothers  “ 

Unknown  about  father  and  mother 

Ages  when  ca^ne  io  Mission. 

From  II  to  20  years 

“ 21  “ 25  “ 

“ 26  “30  “ 

“ 31  “ 40  “ 

“ 41  “ 50  “ 

“ 51  “ 60  “ 

“ 61  “ 70  “ 

“ 70  “ 80  “ 

Average  when  came 


282 

174 

340 

418 

1,099 

1,041 

155 


• • 432 

• • 583 

. . 652 

. . 614 

. . 140 

• • 15 

■ . 2 

. . I 

27>^  j-ears. 


REPORT  OF  meetings  FOR  1892. 


DATE. 

ATTENDANCE 

AT 

MEETINGS  OF 
INMATES. 

ATTENDANCE 

AT 

MEETINGS  OF 
STREET  GIRLS. 

ATTENDANCE 
• AT 

MEETINGS. 

REQUESTS 

FOR 

PRAYER. 

AVERAGE 
ATTENDANCE 
OF  INM.-VTES. 

AVERAGE 

ATTENDANCE 

OF 

STREET  GIRLS 

AVERAGE 

ATTENDANCE 

OF 

VISITORS. 

May  1892 

613 

482 

9,767 

255 

June  “ 

646 

441 

7,444 

124 

July  ■' 

560 

506 

7,441 

204 

Aug. 

429 

627 

6,096 

127 

Sept.  “ 

587 

524 

6,737 

205 

>> 

Oct.  “ 

609 

552 

8,084 

221 

Cj 

r\ 

^ 

Nov.  “ 

688 

527 

7,825 

366 

Dec.  “ 

656 

445 

8.754 

348 

s 

a> 

Jan.  1893 

608 

447 

9.385 

322 

P-i 

Feb.  “ 

522 

347 

9,716 

257 

Mch.  “ 

418 

387 

10,121 

222 

April  “ 

510 

402 

10.753 

217 

6.S46 

5.687 

T02.  123 

2,868 

iS 

15 

279 

STATISTICS  FOR  NINE  YEARS. 

41,215 

87.713 

534  053 

27,168 

12 

26 

162 

APPENDIX. 


^Irogtitution  is  i^tot  a iEbil. 

R.  ACTON,  the  well-known  surgeon, 
says  distinctly,  “The  boy  has  to 
learn  that  to  his  immature  frame 
every  sexual  indulgence  is  unmiti- 
gated evil."  Sir  James  Paget,  in  his 
Clinical  Lectures  to  Medical  Students,  says, 
“Some  of  your  patients  will  expect  you  to 
advise  fornication  ; I would  as  soon  advise 
stealing  or  lying  or  anything  else  which  God  has  for- 
bidden.” 

Dr.  Andrew  Clarke  said  to  a patient,  “ Necessity 
for  fornication,  certainly  not ; I believe  that  if  you 
keep  from  women  you  will  live  twenty  years  longer.” 

Young  man,  when  a physician  advises  you  to 
commit  this  sin  for  your  health’s  sake  ask  him  if  he  is 
willing  his  sister  or  daughter  shall  be  your  com- 
panion. She  is  somebody' s sister  or  daughter.  Why 
not  his  ? 

“ As  a man  thinketh  so  is  he.”  If  a boy  obtains 
the  impression,  from  books  or  from  companions  older 
than  himself,  that  at  the  age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  the 
spermatic  secretion  is  necessarily  formed  and  accumu- 
lated, and  that,  too,  without  his  knowledge,  volition 
or  power  of  prevention,  and  that  in  order  to  keep  his 
health  he  must  in  some  way  periodically  throw  off 

303 


304  the  traffic  in  girls. 

that  secretion,  his  actions  will  immediately  begin  to 
correspond  with  his  belief. 

A medical  writer  well  says,  “ The  comparison  by 
medical  men,  of  this  secretion  with  the  bile,  gastric 
juice,  etc.,  fixes  this  false  theory  in  his  mind  and 
confirms  him  in  his  pernicious  habits.  But,  substi- 
tute the  word  ‘tears’  for  bile,  and  you  put  before  that 
boy’s  mind  an  altogether  different  idea.  He  knows 
that  tears,  in  falling  drops,  are  not  essential  to  life  or 
health.  A man  may  be  in  perfect  health  and  not  cr}^ 
once  in  five  or  even  fifty  years.  The  lachrymal  fluid 
is  ever  present,  but  in  such  small  quantities  that  it  is 
unnoticed.  Where  are  the  tears  while  they  remain 
unshed  ? They  are  ever  ready,  waiting  to  spring 
forth  when  there  is  an  adequate  cause,  but  they  do 
not  accumulate  and  distress  the  man  because  the}'^  are 
not  shed  daily,  weekly  or  monthly.  The  component 
elements  of  the  tears  are  prepared  in  the  system,  they 
are  on  hand,  passing  through  the  circulation,  read}^ 
to  mix  and  flow  whenever  they  are  needed  ; but  if 
they  mix,  accumulate  and  flow  without  adequate 
cause — without  physical  irritation  or  mental  emotion 
— the  ph3^sician  at  once  decides  that  there  is  a disease 
of  the  lachrymal  glands.  It  is  my  belief  that  tears 
and  the  spermatic  fluid  are  much  more  analogous  in 
their  normal  manner  of  secretion  and  use,  than  is  the 
bile  or  gastric  juice  and  the  semen.  Neither  flow  of 
tears  or  semen  is  essential  to  life  or  health.  Both  are 
greatly  under  the  control  of  the  imagination,  the 
emotions  and  the  will ; and  the  flow  of  either  is  liable 
to  be  arrested  in  a moment  bi^  sudden  mental  action. 
Also,  when  a man  sheds  tears  there  is  a subsequent 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  305 

depression  arising  from  nervous  exhaustion,  conse- 
quent upon  the  violent  emotions  which  caused  the 
tears,  and  a similar  effect  follows  seminal  emission. 

“ Now  were  men  and  boys  made  to  believe  and 
feel  that  it  is  as  degrading  for  them  to  allow  a seminal 
emission  without  rational  and  proper  cause,  as  it  is 
unmanly  for  them  to  shed  tears  frequently  or  on  triv- 
ial occasions,  and  that,  moreover,  uncalled-foremission 
is  a destructive  waste  of  life  material,  the  formation 
ofhabits  of  masturbation,  promiscuous  intercourse  and 
marital  profligacy,  with  all  their  disastrous  conse- 
quences, might  be  largely  prevented.  ’ ’ 

N.  E.  Boyd  says  : “As  helps  to  those  who  would 
conquer  unruly  passion  and  live  in  purity,  we  briefly 
mention — 

“ A simple,  unstimulating  diet,  consisting  chiefly 
of  grains  and  fruits,  cooked  in  the  plainest  manner, 
with  but  little  animal  food  (lean  beef,  mutton,  or  wild 
meat,  best  broiled  or  roasted,  milk,  eggs  ; these  to  be 
used  sparingly,  if  at  all),  and  dispensing  entirely  with 
gross  and  inflammatory  articles  {e.  g.,  fat  and  salted 
meats,  pork,  fish,  especially  shell  fish,  condiments  and 
spices,  pastry,  sweetmeats,  tobacco,  drugs,  tea,  coffee, 
and  all  alcoholic  stimulants  whatever).  The  experience 
of  those  who  have  followed  these  rules  is  very  valu- 
able. Agreeable  exercise  daily  in  the  open  air  and 
sun,  enough  to  refresh  and  invigorate  the  system, 
not  to  exhaust  it.  Bathing  (cool,  not  cold)  enough 
to  insure  cleanliness  and  comfort.  In  temptation 
apply  locally  towels  saturated  with  cold  water.  In- 
dustrious occupation  while  awake  (for  mind  or  body, 
or  both).  Indolence  is  the  mother  of  concupiscence. 


3o6 


THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS. 


Sleep,  at  early  hours,  on  a not  luxurious  bed, 
which  you  should  invariably  occupy  alone,  and  quit 
promptly  on  waking  in  the  morning.  The  cherish- 
ing of  pure  thoughts  and  ennobling  companionship, 
shunning  as  very  poison  all  persons,  books,  objects 
and  contemplations^  that  suggest  unclean  images,  or 
stir  up  base  desires.  The  cultivation  of  a manly 
religious  principle,  a sense  of  our  high  calling  and 
possible  Godward  growth,  and  of  a determination  to 
live  cleanly,  honorably,  and  acceptably  before  con- 
science and  the  all-seeing  Eye,  turning  to  Him,  when 
tried,  with  confidence  that  we  shall  conquer  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit.” 

Read  such  books  as  Chastity,  by  Dr.  Dio  Lewis. 
Then  as  Ellice  Hopkins  truly  sa5’s  : 

“Above  all,  try  to  save  others.  Get  into  an  ag- 
gressive attitude  towards  the  whole  evil,  and  fight  it, 
not  only  in  5^ourself  but  in  others.  It  is  only  passion 
that  can  cast  out  passion.  The  literally  untemptable 
men  I have  known  have  not  been  men  who  have  been 
thinking  only  of  saving  their  own  skins,  but  men  who 
have  had  a noble  passion  for  the  wronged,  the  weak 
and  the  defenseless,  which  surely  is  the  divine  flower- 
ing in  a human  soul ; a chivalrous  passion  to  save 
women  and  children  from  degradation  ; a passion  to 
make  the  world  a little  better  than  the}"  found  it. 
That  passion,  like  sunlight  in  them,  had  put  out  all 
lower  fires.  Join  some  societ}" — the  White  Cross 
Army,  or  any  similar  association  of  men,  and  fight  the 
battle  of  your  own  mother’s  womanhood  among  5'our 
companions  and  3’our  younger  brothers.  Saving 
others  3"OU  will  find  the  best  means  towards  saving 


FLORENCE  CRITTENTON  MISSIONS.  307 

yourself.  Purity  is  like  health  : seek  it  too  directly, 
and  it  flies.  It  is  in  losing  your  life  for  others  that 
you  find  it.  Also  may  I not  say  to  you  one  word 
about  the  immense  help  you  find  in  the  Holy 
Communion  ? ” This  Holy  Supper  that  represents  to 
all  of  Christ’s  followers  His  own  strength  and  power 
to  keep,  and  “ to  him  that  overcometh  will  I grant  to 
sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I also  overcame, 
and  am  set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne.” 


“THE  TRAFFIC  IN  GIRLS 
and  Florence  Crittenton  flissions” 

By  CHARLTON  EDHOLM, 

Superintendent  Press  World’s  W.  C.  T.  XJ,  and  Reporter 
Florence  Crittenton  Missions. 

A thrilling  picture  of  the  life  of  these  poor  white  slaves  in  the  horrors 
of  the  brothel,  and  their  rescue  by  the  Thirteen  Florence  Crittenton  Mis- 
sions, founded  by  that  '*  Brother  of  Girls,"  Evangelist  Charles  N.  Critten- 
ton, 

FINELY  ILLUSTRATED, 

PRICE  ONLY  $1.00.  POSTAGE  15  CENTS. 

As  Mr.  Crittenton  is  largely  sustaining  eight  Florence  Crittenton  Mis- 
sions, and  has  generou.siy  founded  five  more  under  W.  C.  T.  U.  auspices— 
Chicago,  Denver,  Portland,  Oreg.,  Fargo,  S.  D.,  and  Norfolk,  Va, — every 
white-ribboner  and  every  Christian  should  have  copies  of  these  books  to 
give  to  friends. 

Help  us,  friends,  to  rescue  these  precious  " little  sisters.”  Press  the 
sale  at  State,  County  and  local  W.  C.  T.  U.  Conventions. 

No  better  present  could  be  given  your  pastor  and  friends.  No  better 
work  could  be  done  by  Unions  than  to  scatter  many  copies  of  this  book. 

SIX  COPIES  FOR  $5.00.  TEN  COPIES  $7.50. 

All  proceeds  for  the  benefit  of  the  Missions.  Address  orders  to 

CHARLTON  EDHOLM,  Supi.  Press  World’s  W.  C.  T.  U., 

THE  W.  C.  T.  U.  TEnPLE,  CHICAGO. 


YOU  WILL  BE  DELIGHTED  WITH  IT!  WHAT? 

THE  PRETTY  SOUVENIR  BOOKLET 

“ ftround  ilie  World  wltli  Josus  ” 

BY 

EVANGELIST  CHARLES  N.  CRITTENTON. 

Containing  a description  of  his  trip  around  the  world,  especially  his 
tour  in  Palestine,  full  of  most  interesting  references  to  Bible  events  in  each 
place  visited,  deeply  absorbing  to  all  that  love  Christ. 

Also  containing  a sketch  of  Florence  Crittenton  Missions  for  the  rescue 
of  erring  girls  f rom  the  horrors  of  their  pitiable  life,  written  by  Charlton 
Edholm,  bupt.  Press  of  the  World’s  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union 
and  Reporter  of  Florence  Crittenton  Missions. 

The  booklet  is  handsomely  illustrated  by  fine  pictures  of  Mr.  Critten- 
ton, Miss  Frances  E.  Willard  and  Lady  Henry  Somerset,  President  and 
Vice-President  of  the  World’s  W.  C.  T.  U.,  the  New  York  Florence  Crit- 
tenton Mission,  ” Mother  ” Prindle,  its  noble  matron,  Anthony  Comstock, 
A.  W.  Dennett,  Mrs.  Underhill  and  Mr.  Vasser. 

PRICE  ONLY  35  Cts.  5 Cts.  POSTAGE. 

CHARLTON  EDHOLM,  Supt.  Press  World's  W.  C.  T.  U. 

THE  W.  C.  T.  U.  TEMPLE,  CHICAGO. 


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(FORM  OF  BEQUEST.) 


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